Hockeyhead

The NHL really believes that they don’t have a problem with performance-enhancing drugs, so much so that they don’t even test during the playoffs.  Obviously, if a player wanted a boost they would only look to do so during the regular season.  Yeah, okay.  I love baseball even though it’s shameful how so many players have soiled the legacy of the game by cheating.  At least they are put in a position to get caught though.

With that said, I also believe that reputed cheaters like Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa belong in the Hall of Fame because they played in an era where cheating was all but condoned.  Don’t get me started on Pete Rose, if it were up to me I’d not only reinstate him, I’d make him the fucking curator of the Hall.  Enough about baseball though, we need to take a look at Rick Tocchet!

Rick Tocchet finished his career just 48 points short of 1000, but he compiled the penalty minutes of ten regular men with a whopping 2972.  When Tocchet was in his prime you would have been crazy to have gotten on his bad side.  That’s why he’ll probably end up being a decent coach.

The Tampa Bay Lightning rewarded Tocchet with a 2-year deal to remain head coach of their club.  How is it that in baseball, perhaps the greatest hitter to ever play the game can’t even get a seat in Cooperstown because he placed a few bets yet in hockey, a former player turned assistant coach that plead guilty to conspiracy and promoting gambling can get a full-time gig as a head coach?  If I were a criminal with a shred of athletic ability, I’d be concentrating most of it on hockey.

Tocchet of course took over as head coach of the Lightning last November 16, after Barry Melrose was relieved as his duties.  Barry Melrose now looks like this:

Knuckle-bumps to Deadspin for the photo.