Pubdate: Wed, 23 Aug 2006
Source: Naples Daily News (FL)
Copyright: 2006 Naples Daily News.
Contact:  http://www.naplesnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/284
Note: Publisher prints several newspapers - please indicate which 
newspaper in LTEs.
Author: Andy Kent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

ECHL LOOKS AT TESTING

Editor's note: This is the fourth in a four-part series following the 
Collier County School Board's bid to implement random drug testing 
for its athletes and cheerleaders.

Perhaps the Collier County School Board has set a precedent in 
forward thinking with last week's vote to implement testing for 
illegal drugs in high school student-athletes and cheerleaders.

Representatives of some of the area's professional teams are 
intrigued with the Board's decision, especially those in minor 
leagues that do not currently have drug testing policies of their 
own, like the ECHL (Double-A hockey).

"We certainly concur with what they're doing. We think that sports 
should be drug free, and any steps that anybody takes towards that 
objective is a good idea," Florida Everblades team president and 
general manager Craig Brush said. "I don't think we have a problem 
with drugs in hockey, and as far as the steroid issue, we would know 
about that. (Athletic trainer) Todd (Wisocki) would pick that up in a minute."

The ECHL is seriously looking into what's involved when it comes to 
drug testing, specifically the costs and the legal ramifications. In 
January, the league and the Professional Hockey Players' Association 
signed a three-year extension of their collective bargaining 
agreement, and the issue of drug testing officially was addressed.

Due to the fact the ECHL is a developmental league for the American 
Hockey League and the National Hockey League, coming up with a 
mutually agreeable policy is not quite as easy as it might be at a 
higher professional league. The ins and outs of NHL contracts and 
two- way contracts with the AHL must first be understood, and that 
relates more to performance-enhancing drugs and steroids.

"It's a very complex issue. The deeper we get into it, the more 
educated we get on the whole issue," said ECHL commissioner Brian 
McKenna, who has been in constant communication with Larry Landon, 
executive director of the PHPA. "We don't operate in a vacuum, so 
we're trying now also to get a handle on exactly what the National 
Hockey League is doing.

"We're reviewing that, and then also the American Hockey League is in 
discussions to renew their collective bargaining agreement, which 
expires at the end of this year. So as we move forward we want to be 
consistent with what they're going to do as well.

"Approximately half of the players in the ECHL played games in the 
American League last year and we also had eight or 10 players play in 
our league and the NHL, so with the amount of movement, we have to be 
consistent with what we do. We're also trying to get some input from 
the AHL and their PHPA and see what direction they want to go. We 
want to have input from players, ownership, the PHPA and experts in 
that field."

There is a policy in place in regards to players, coaches or 
management found guilty by a court of law of possession of illegal 
drugs. McKenna said the ECHL has the ability to suspend and take 
action against those offenders, but the league does not test for illegal drugs.

Because a number of ECHL players also come from the lower levels like 
the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and 
the United States Hockey League, McKenna said his league needs to be 
cognizant of what's being done in those leagues as well.

"The QMJHL implemented a program last year on a test basis to do drug 
testing, so we're also trying to get information from them on what 
drugs were tested for and how they were tested," he said. "We're 
going to determine what the best direction is, what's fair and what 
we can afford and we'll go from there. We either have to do virtually 
everybody or nobody at all. We can't do it in a discriminatory 
fashion, so to do that we need the approval of our players' 
association to determine who's chosen, how many times a year, etc."

The Fort Myers Miracle, Fort Myers' minor-league baseball team 
playing in the Class A Florida State League, are subject to the same 
testing policies carried out by Major League Baseball, which includes 
random tests during spring training.

Arenafootball2 president Jerry Kurz would not disclose information 
regarding drug tests. Asked earlier this season about the league's 
testing program, Florida Firecats coach Kevin Bouis said there is no 
such program in place. He said costs were likely the sticking point.

As for a time frame for when a drug testing policy may be put in 
place in the ECHL, McKenna said one has not been set.

"Some of that is going to be dependent on the AHL. Our feeling is 
that whatever we would rush into would have to be changed anyway, so 
we're going to move slowly," McKenna said. "Now we're going to move 
quickly to put together a committee and discuss it and try to get 
educated on the issues and how we need to move, but we don't have a 
strict timeline.

"We share a concern: we want to make sure we have something in place 
that's good for the health of our players. However, we want to do 
something, too, that is comprehensive and consistent with what's 
going on in other leagues."

Staff writer Scott Hotard contributed to this story.

***

Page 33 From Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article XV: Miscellaneous

Section 7: Drug Testing / Education / Sanctions

Drug testing, education and sanctions are issues that need study. A 
joint select committee composed of the Commissioner and the Executive 
Director with such other representatives as may be appointed by both 
will be formed to conduct a study and determine the appropriate 
measures, if any, to implement a mutually agreeable policy.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman