Turbo
Well-Known Member
But why? He's currently a free agent and has no contract with an NHL team. Legally he's as unaffiliated with the league as you and I are.
It doesn't matter that he doesn't have a contract. The league can certainly prevent contracts and therefore prevent a player from playing if there's an issue that goes against whatever morality rules they have. We saw it this summer with that Boston contract (i know different situation and much more reprehensible but still related to a morality issue).
Anyway if he wants to get passed this and play again, he really has no choice. Go through the hoops so the league accepts his next contract. As you say he has no legal affiliation, so nothing prevents him from walking away if he doesn't want to play in the league again. But that's the crux - he wants a contact to play again.
Now if we want to talk about whether this is a fair morality clause the players have to follow, that's another story. I think it is. And players gambling on an NHL games would be a whole other level of bad. But I also think it's incredibly reprehensible and hypocritical that the league is making any money off gambling promotion. They're kind of playing with fire here and this may only be the beginning (i.e. more players will follow) if they continue down this path. They have a responsibility in this but I doubt they ever acknowledge it.