The use of Sudafed by NHL players is examined by
Michael Farber of SI under the header "Hockey's Little
Helpers." Farber: "It's the NHL's dirty little secret, and
with the Olympics imminent, it is of great concern to the
league because although Sudafed is legal, it is on the
Olympic list of banned substances." Farber writes that the
"exact number of players who use Sudafed, a nonprescription
drug that contains the stimulant pseudoephedrine, in an
effort to boost their performance on the ice, is unclear."
Two NHL trainers "estimate that before a game 20% of the
league's players routinely take" such over-the-counter
medications "to feel a little buzz." The NHL, however,
"disputes that figure, saying the percentage of players
using drugs such as Sudafed is much lower and that they use
them for medicinal purposes only" (SI, 2/2 issue).
REBUTTAL: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, on SI's
article: "The evidence that we have indicates that [SI's]
anecdotes aren't born out by the facts, and that if there
was a problem -- and we're not so sure that there ever was -
- that it was a while ago." More Bettman: "[I]f we thought
we had a problem, our substance abuse program would be
directed at it, even though we're talking about a perfectly
legal substance" ("CNN/SI," 1/29). NHLPA Exec Dir Bob
Goodenow declined to discuss specific results of pre-Olympic
drug tests but said those results contained "no shocking
revelations of drug abuse, nor any indication the use of
Sudafed was as high" as depicted in SI (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/29).
