Before the resumption of the regular NHL championship, literally a few hours before, the league’s press service made a statement that Evgeny Kuznetsov would undergo the NHL Player Assistance Program. This is how it became known why Kuznetsov missed his team’s training session.
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Evgeny Kuznetsov to undergo NHL player assistance program
Let’s remember that this is not the first case of its kind involving a Russian player this season: Valery Nichushkin also joined the player assistance program less than a month ago, but we have not yet heard the official reason for his entry. Only unofficial information emerged that the problems were not alcohol-related, as many initially thought.
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It is important to note that after the cocaine story in 2019, Kuznetsov was also on these lists, but then it was of a more formal nature.
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Now let’s try to analyze some fundamental questions of this story. But since there is almost no official information, as is the case in these cases, we will be guided only by what is available.
Did Kuznetsov deteriorate solely because of personal problems?
Many experts and media representatives have been debating for several years: what is happening to Kuznetsov? And the most varied versions have always been heard: from hockey fatigue to reluctance to play for a certain coach. For some reason, no one even mentioned the possibility of personal or psychological problems.
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After all, what is the opinion about Kuznetsov? A mischievous and cheerful guy who lives for his own pleasure and for whom everything is like water on a duck’s back. True, no one took into account a curious fact: it is people with this type of character who most often have very deep psychological problems that can only make things worse in the future.
It’s clear that, in retrospect, all of Kuznetsov’s intelligent but overly dull eyes on the court over the past two years are an indicator that all is not well. There was also information that after that unfortunate story with a positive doping test, Kuznetsov was studying individually with a psychologist. This is what Evgeny himself commented in a summer interview: “Going to a psychologist is one of the best decisions of my life.” Of course, he further revealed this thesis by saying that he was working with a psychologist to strengthen himself on a sporting level, citing the example of Andre Agassi, but it seems that the stone was not buried only there.
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alexander Ovechkin
Photo: AP/TASS
Everyone turned a blind eye to Kuznetsov’s jokes about retiring from his career: “This is already my 11th season, does it feel like I’ve been here for so long? Yes, I feel like I am ready to end my career,” Evgeniy said, laughing. Now all these words have taken on different colors, right?
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Answering the clearly posed question about the degradation of games, we can safely say that this is a complex of problems. And purely gaming, and some probably personal.
Is the story related to drugs again?
Let us agree that in this case it is necessary to use a legal principle such as the presumption of innocence, which means the innocence of a person until facts and evidence are provided, because talking about the present constantly leads someone to a trace of the past. , it’s not ethical.
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Photo: AP/TASS
What will happen next with Kuznetsov?
It is obvious that Evgeniy will undergo the program, but it is impossible to guess the timing. Because we have the example of Colorado defender Samuel Girard, who recovered in a month and now plays as if nothing had happened, and we have the example of Robin Lehner, who still cannot get out.
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Overall, I would like to point out once again that the player assistance program is one of the best non-hockey cases in NHL history. Players are not abandoned, allowing them to complete the course and, once they return, continue to contribute to the league.
The only thing I want is for this not to suddenly become an opportunity to take a vacation with full pay, because the latest social media posts from Patrik Laine (also on an assistance program at the moment), happily on vacation with Friends, they are slightly alarming. No, not because I cannot dedicate time to pleasure, but because showing off is a little unethical in relation to the employer who fully trusts you and to the partners who are not having the best time without you.
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And Kuznetsov can only hope that it solves all his problems, whatever they may be. It seems that the public still wants to watch good old Kuzya.
