Lehner comments on Lou Lamoriello after making allegations that NHL teams provide players with drugs

In case you missed it this past weekend, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner made claims that he and his teammates have been provided unprescribed benzodiazepines and sleeping pills by the NHL and that the practice has gone back for years.

Lehner went on a bit of an online rant, but this phrase in particular raised eyebrows:

Is it common for work places to give out benzodiazepines to employees when they travel and ambien ? Should that not be done by doctors or psychiatrist?

Um... what is going on here?

The NHL has reportedly reached out to Lehner to discuss whatever it is that Lehner seems to be driving at and the Philadelphia Flyers were forced to issue a statement essentially saying that they are in support of their medical staff and have never provided a player with unnecessary medications. Frankly, it's a mess for the NHL and I won't be surprised if more players start to tell their stories about prescription drug addiction.

Lehner, of course, has battled many demons over the course of his NHL career and has been open about his struggles with alcohol, pain medication and anxiety. He's an advocate for mental health and has embraced sobriety over the past few seasons. While he hasn't come out and named the teams and people who enabled his addictions earlier in his career, it's not difficult to do the math yourself. 

Lehner's biggest struggles in the NHL came during the period from 2015 until 2018 when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Now, I'm not saying that the Sabres are culpable here, but it's worth noting that when Lehner was asked if he was provided unprescribed drugs as a member of the New York Islanders, with whom he played immediately following the Sabres, he emphatically denied the assertion.

Check it out:

 I'm willing to bet that it's no coincidence that Lehner managed to get himself sober and turn around his NHL career in the sole season he played under Lou Lamoriello with the Islanders. I'm also willing to believe Lehner that there's no way Lamoriello would tolerate having a starting goaltender with crippling addiction.