yave1964 Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Mike Ribiero was released by the Arizona Coyotes right before the free agent period began, Don Maloney, the sharp GM of the Coyotes cited 'behavior issues' for letting last years big free agent signee go and eating the remaining near 20 million dollars of his contract. Maloneys quotes: The Coyotes weren't naïve when they acquired Ribeiro last summer, but Maloney thought they could manage. Called it "mistake" now. Maloney said this move was purely about behavioral issues and not cost-saving move. Ribeiro has been seeking help this summer, Maloney said. Maloney on being out a 1st-line center again: "Let's be honest. We were out a top-line center for the last 40 games anyway. We all saw it." Ouch. double ouch. Ribiero played all year, this was an obvious comment about the effort, or the lack thereof from Ribiero. Ribiero has had issues, from drinking and driving to rumors of his drug issues forcing him out of Montreal who traded him to Dallas for the remains of Janne Niinimaa, his partying lifestyle and abrasive wife forced Dallas to deal him to the Capitals for Cody Eakin, a nice player but Eakin will never, ever approach 60 points in a season like Ribiero has hit six times. Ribiero had a great season for the Capitals who chose to sign Grabovski and allow Ribiero to leave for the Coyotes drawing the wrath of Ribiero's wife Tamara who was quoted as saying she was "pissed beyond belief' that the Capitals let her husband go in free agency. The drug rumors are all over the internet since his Montreal days, he was dangled to the Flames just before the deadline but refused the trade, he has a limited no trade contract and said he had zero interest in playing for Calgary. Now the Coyotes, the poorest team in the league after one year let him go, saying in essence that they would rather pay him to play elsewhere. Maloney and Tippett are two of the most brilliant minds in the game. Ribiero said that Tippett was the best coach he has ever played for. And the second half of the season he mailed it in and sealed his fate. I looked on line for a quote from a former teammate defending him, I could not find any. Not one. He has been given up on by organization after organization, and now at 34 he is jobless. Will he find a team to give him a shot? Well, there aren't a lot of centers who can score 60-80 points a year. Maybe this will be the wakeup call he needs to get his career on track. But personally, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot poll. Pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blocker Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 But personally, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot poll. Pass. Me also. Difficult to understand how a guy can have the drive to make himself an NHL hockey player, but on the other hand, just piss it all away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Hmmm, interesting. Never heard about Rib's drug problem. I guess it's common knowledge, or Maloney would not have put it out there like that. I don't know the NHLPA's stance on drug testing, but *if* it is allowed, that may be the only way he finds employment. If he can't be tested, I doubt anyone takes the chance...60-80 pts or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarsippius Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 @jammer2I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that recreational drug testing did not make its way into the last CBA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 From both Probert and Fleury's books, both cursed the day that they admitted they had a drug issue, The league pretends it does not exist and comes down hard, drug testing regularly once you admit the problem. Most players watch the hell that the few who enter the program 'voluntarily' go thru and avoid the program like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 @yave1964 Ahhh, thanks, that was the info I was looking for. So the league mandates tests once you admit a problem....that might make things easier for Rib's.....depending on where he's at in his addiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanflyer Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 The league pretends it does not exist and comes down hard, drug testing regularly once you admit the problem. Reading some other sites, apparently regreational drug use is quite prevalent in the NHL (cocain and the green stuff). particularly with the 20 something single guys. The ribieros, Proberts and Fleury's are the extreme, particularly because they are using while playing whereas allot of the stories from the recreational user are mostly during the off-season. while the stories are allot of conjecture and hearsay, where there is smoke, there tends to be fire. these guys are multi-millionaires and even if they don't intentionally seek it out, its easily presented to them clubs, bars, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blocker Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 He gets another chance with Nashville. He whines in the pressy about his concerns about his family. If he gave a damn about them, he'd not got wasted when his team needed him. I hope he does well. But, that's a sucker bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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