Hockey players are a cross section of life. Of course there are some players doing drugs. I'm sure there's a few who have drinking problems. Emotional problems, mental problems, etc.

If there is a mountain of circumstantial and testimonial evidence, why can't you provide it. What you linked previously fell well short of the mark.
- MJL

Are they? For a start they're all men, almost exclusively white, almost exclusively come from middle class and up families. That doesn't seem very cross-sectional to me.

Are they? For a start they're all men, almost exclusively white, almost exclusively come from middle class and up families. That doesn't seem very cross-sectional to me.
- Wetbandit1

Semantics. I want to see the proof you have of NHL players using cocaine.

Semantics. I want to see the proof you have of NHL players using cocaine.
- MJL

Semantics? The army is a cross section of society, the NHL is about the farthest you can get. I already gave you evidence that NHL players use cocaine. The PGA is more of a cross section of society than the NHL.

Are they? For a start they're all men, almost exclusively white, almost exclusively come from middle class and up families. That doesn't seem very cross-sectional to me.
- Wetbandit1

80% of my friends in that category have experience with the white gold.

Semantics? The army is a cross section of society, the NHL is about the farthest you can get. I already gave you evidence that NHL players use cocaine. The PGA is more of a cross section of society than the NHL.
- Wetbandit1

What you provided was not evidence. Your position is so weak that you're now taking to arguing what a cross section of society is rather than addressing the actual point I made.

And you're going to believe Bill Daly? I've got a bridge to sell you... What do you think he's going to say? It's like when the GM gets asked if the coach is safe and they laugh at the "absurd notion that he's in any trouble", and 3 days later the coach is fired.
- Wetbandit1

You posted the link to the article to support your position!! If there's directly contradictory material in that article and you think I'm not going to point it out, I have a bridge to sell YOU.

Let's stay focused. The original point under discussion (and that you're supporting) is that cocaine use is "widespread" in the NHL. Tanner purports to be a numbers guy, but if he's sloppy with words that imply numbers he's going to get called out. What's "widespread" mean? 10% of players (75)? 20% of players (150)? More? I understand that he's a blogger, but there's still some level of journalistic standards that applies, even here.

Semantics. I want to see the proof you have of NHL players using cocaine.
- MJL

I don't think you know what semantics are.

80% of my friends in that category have experience with the white gold.
- Cloud

And if they were all millionaires it would be 98% haha

I don't think you know what semantics are.
- James_Tanner

Sure I do. You provide numerous example on an almost daily basis. Even if I don't, what I do know is hockey and analytics.

What you provided was not evidence. Your position is so weak that you're now taking to arguing what a cross section of society is rather than addressing the actual point I made.
- MJL

How is providing players actually caught and arrested with, the deputy commissioner of the NHL, and testimonials of players not evidence? You're the one getting it twisted and thinking I'm saying all players are using cocaine. I'd bet it's a couple of guys per team. That's significantly higher than the norm of .8% in 2016 and .9% in 2017 of users "in the past month, 18+ years old" and the rate is increasing still, there was an article about the amount of people OD'ing skyrocketing.

https://www.samhsa.gov/da...NSDUHDetailedTabs2017.pdf

You posted the link to the article to support your position!! If there's directly contradictory material in that article and you think I'm not going to point it out, I have a bridge to sell YOU.

Let's stay focused. The original point under discussion (and that you're supporting) is that cocaine use is "widespread" in the NHL. Tanner purports to be a numbers guy, but if he's sloppy with words that imply numbers he's going to get called out. What's "widespread" mean? 10% of players (75)? 20% of players (150)? More? I understand that he's a blogger, but there's still some level of journalistic standards that applies, even here.
- doublechili

Ok, let's use Daly's "I'd be shocked number" of a "couple dozen" which was from 4 years ago, cocaine use as a whole has shot up since then, but let's use 2016 numbers of .8%(closest numbers to when that statement was made) of people aged 18 and over. Let's say 25 NHL players per team, 23 plus a couple guys that come up from the AHL, that makes 775 NHL players, 24 players out of that is 3.09%, that's almost quadrupling the national average.

How is providing players actually caught and arrested with, the deputy commissioner of the NHL, and testimonials of players not evidence? You're the one getting it twisted and thinking I'm saying all players are using cocaine. I'd bet it's a couple of guys per team. That's significantly higher than the norm of .8% in 2016 and .9% in 2017 of users "in the past month, 18+ years old" and the rate is increasing still, there was an article about the amount of people OD'ing skyrocketing.

https://www.samhsa.gov/da...NSDUHDetailedTabs2017.pdf
- Wetbandit1

You don't seem to understand that the context of the conversation is that there is widespread use of cocaine among NHL players. Not that there have been a few players caught. You can bet it's anything but can't offer proof of that.

Ok, let's use Daly's "I'd be shocked number" of a "couple dozen" which was from 4 years ago, cocaine use as a whole has shot up since then, but let's use 2016 numbers of .8%(closest numbers to when that statement was made) of people aged 18 and over. Let's say 25 NHL players per team, 23 plus a couple guys that come up from the AHL, that makes 775 NHL players, 24 players out of that is 3.09%, that's almost quadrupling the national average.
- Wetbandit1

But I thought the original premise was that we were talking about privileged millionaires. Now we're talking about the national average?! If "widespread" cocaine use among millionaire professional athletes means 24.... I guess words just mean whatever, dude.

...sorry the most ridiculous thing I read in here was that the Leafs were eliminated by Boston because of "bad luck".

They had no defense.
They still have NO defense.
In one of Duby's more questionable moves he took two of his wonky defense and traded for two of the Sens wonky defense.

The offense is incredibly good. The goalie is ok. The defense is still BAD.
First round elimination almost assured, and luck will have nothing to do with it.

You don't seem to understand that the context of the conversation is that there is widespread use of cocaine among NHL players. Not that there have been a few players caught. You can bet it's anything but can't offer proof of that.
- MJL

You don't seem to understand what context is. If 4 times the amount of players use it over the average, that's a problem any way you want to cut it.

You don't seem to understand what context is. If 4 times the amount of players use it over the average, that's a problem any way you want to cut it.
- Wetbandit1

Again, provide the proof and documentation that shows that is the case. Still waiting.