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NHL official said Native player had drug problem
Friday, December 21, 2007
Filed Under: First Nations | Sports

A National Hockey League official is facing calls to apologize after he implied that Native player Chris Simon was receiving treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.

Simon, an Ojibwa from Canada, was placed on extended paid leave by the New York Islanders this week. He will undergo counseling after a second incident in which he hit another player.

But Colin Campbell, the NHL's executive vice president and director of hockey operations, said Simon's "problem" was something else. He said Simon was going to receive help from "the drug and the alcohol doctors."

Phil Fontaine, the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said Campbell should apologize for the remarks. "Mr. Simon, and all of his fans, would like to hear an apology, especially since it smacks of stereotyping," Fontaine said in a statement.

Islanders coach Ted Nolan, who is also Ojibwa, said he was disturbed as well. "It really bothered me, the implication, even if it was just a careless omission," Nolan told the Associated Press.

Get the Story:
Chief wants apology from NHL's Campbell on erroneous Simon statement (AP 12/21)
First Nations chief wants Simon apology from NHL exec (CP 12/20)

Relevant Links:
Chris Simon, ESPN - http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?statsId=595
New York Islanders - http://www.newyorkislanders.com

Related Stories:
Native hockey player put on extended paid leave (12/18)
Native hockey player suspended for season (3/12)

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