NHL to talk steroids with Senate

[The General]

theglobeandmail.com

The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players' Association will come armed with a new anti-doping policy when they once again appear before a Senate committee today.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin will testify before the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation -- one of four U.S. congressional committees looking into steroid policies in U.S. athletics and the possible need for federal legislation that would mandate certain minimum standards.

Also joining the hockey leaders will be Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and union chief Donald Fehr, National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue and union counterpart Gene Upshaw and National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern and union president Antonio Davis.

The leagues and union leaders will be asked to comment on legislation proposed by the committee. Two bills are on the table: the Clean Sports Act and the Professional Sports Integrity and Accountability Act.

Bettman and former NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow testified on May 18, but at the time, the league's new collective labour agreement was not yet agreed on.

This time, the NHL and NHLPA have a new anti-doping policy to defend.
Under the policy, players are tested randomly up to a maximum of twice a season. First-time offenders are suspended for 20 games and second-time offenders for 60 games and a third-time offence is a lifetime suspension.

[The General]

One of the best things about hockey is watching average size men smack the hell out of each other. I hope they are not a bunch of dopers.