12/21/24
March 08, 2003
NHL bad boy Theoren Fleury may have pushed the Blackhawks too far.: The Blackhawks are said to be close to waiving Fleury, probably ending his up and down career. His on and off ice problems are well known by hockey enthusiasts, so this does not come as a huge surprise to most. I was puzzled, however, at the comment by one of the anonymous sources:
"They're trying to get rid of the $4.5 million for next year. I think it's bull. Look, they signed him. They made the mistake, this guy needs help, don't embarrass him. It's a hard situation, but he's a very troubled soul. Don't embarrass him so he goes off the deep end. They're just trying to get out of that money."
What's the verdict; when does the team get the right to step in and say they've had enough? Do they (ethically, of course) have any obligation to help their players through tough times?
He's done. I really, really like Theo (I'm not a tall man), but his time is up. How many chances has the guy blown to put his life back together? I don't know if it's okay to say he's a lost cause, but it's become pretty clear that he can't pull himself together while living the life of an NHLer. Hopefully he can live a normal life once he gets out of the NHL.
posted by Samsonov14 at 08:17 AM on March 10, 2003
There is only so much a team can do to help the guy. They gave him a second/third chance already. I'm a fan of Fleury's and I can understand where the Blackhawks are coming from. It's like the wife of an alcoholic. How long does she have to stay in the marriage and live with him? If he continues to drink, and he continues to wreck furniture or make a public spectacle of himself, is she obligated to stay? I don't think so. However, since he's still under contract, and would still be receiving health benefits (from the team or players association), I think they should consider helping him get more treatment for his problem. If he refuses, then they really don't have to do anything else. That said, I wonder if a team will pick him off waivers before the trade deadline. In a short-term focused situation (Olympics, playoffs) I think he could control himself and be a real spark for a team.