Hey!! We take drugs too!!!

New York Islanders defenseman Sean Hill recently tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs making him the first player affected by the NHL's new drug policy. The NHL suspended Hill for 20 games, but the suspension wasn't immediate.

Before announcing the suspension, Hill was allowed to appeal the finding. Though nothing was overturned, the appeal postponed the start of his punishment, allowing him to play in the Isles qualifier for the Stanley Cup playoffs on the final day of the season. Hill played a key role in the defeat of the Maple Leafs, and for the first four games of his team's playoff series against Buffalo. The Leafs' loss eliminated from further post-season play.

This brings up the question: should that appeal have been heard before the playoffs began?

Bill Daly, League Deputy Commissioner, answered by saying,

"It's a concern. It's a balancing act. I would've been concerned if we had acted without Sean having had his right to be heard. That would have been unfair to the player to be out of competition if, in fact, he was able to sustain his appeal."

Hill's suspension will continue next year, forcing him to sit out 19 more games. That is, if a team picks him up. Hill becomes a free agent after this season and is forced to await his fate from the sideline.
This may be the first bust since the NHL's new policy was enacted, but no one is assuming steroid use isn't wide-spread in the NHL. Andrei Nazarov was reported claiming that 99 percent of NHL athletes were on steroids. Welcome to the drug race, hockey.