ECHL LOOKS AT TESTING

Editor's note: This is the fourth in a four-part series following the
Collier County School Board's bid to implement random drug testing
for its athletes and cheerleaders.

Perhaps the Collier County School Board has set a precedent in
forward thinking with last week's vote to implement testing for
illegal drugs in high school student-athletes and cheerleaders.

Representatives of some of the area's professional teams are
intrigued with the Board's decision, especially those in minor
leagues that do not currently have drug testing policies of their
own, like the ECHL (Double-A hockey).

"We certainly concur with what they're doing. We think that sports
should be drug free, and any steps that anybody takes towards that
objective is a good idea," Florida Everblades team president and
general manager Craig Brush said. "I don't think we have a problem
with drugs in hockey, and as far as the steroid issue, we would know
about that. (Athletic trainer) Todd (Wisocki) would pick that up in a minute."

The ECHL is seriously looking into what's involved when it comes to
drug testing, specifically the costs and the legal ramifications. In
January, the league and the Professional Hockey Players' Association
signed a three-year extension of their collective bargaining
agreement, and the issue of drug testing officially was addressed.

Due to the fact the ECHL is a developmental league for the American
Hockey League and the National Hockey League, coming up with a
mutually agreeable policy is not quite as easy as it might be at a
higher professional league. The ins and outs of NHL contracts and
two- way contracts with the AHL must first be understood, and that
relates more to performance-enhancing drugs and steroids.

"It's a very complex issue. The deeper we get into it, the more
educated we get on the whole issue," said ECHL commissioner Brian
McKenna, who has been in constant communication with Larry Landon,
executive director of the PHPA. "We don't operate in a vacuum, so
we're trying now also to get a handle on exactly what the National
Hockey League is doing.

"We're reviewing that, and then also the American Hockey League is in
discussions to renew their collective bargaining agreement, which
expires at the end of this year. So as we move forward we want to be
consistent with what they're going to do as well.

"Approximately half of the players in the ECHL played games in the
American League last year and we also had eight or 10 players play in
our league and the NHL, so with the amount of movement, we have to be
consistent with what we do. We're also trying to get some input from
the AHL and their PHPA and see what direction they want to go. We
want to have input from players, ownership, the PHPA and experts in
that field."

There is a policy in place in regards to players, coaches or
management found guilty by a court of law of possession of illegal
drugs. McKenna said the ECHL has the ability to suspend and take
action against those offenders, but the league does not test for illegal drugs.

Because a number of ECHL players also come from the lower levels like
the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and
the United States Hockey League, McKenna said his league needs to be
cognizant of what's being done in those leagues as well.

"The QMJHL implemented a program last year on a test basis to do drug
testing, so we're also trying to get information from them on what
drugs were tested for and how they were tested," he said. "We're
going to determine what the best direction is, what's fair and what
we can afford and we'll go from there. We either have to do virtually
everybody or nobody at all. We can't do it in a discriminatory
fashion, so to do that we need the approval of our players'
association to determine who's chosen, how many times a year, etc."

The Fort Myers Miracle, Fort Myers' minor-league baseball team
playing in the Class A Florida State League, are subject to the same
testing policies carried out by Major League Baseball, which includes
random tests during spring training.

Arenafootball2 president Jerry Kurz would not disclose information
regarding drug tests. Asked earlier this season about the league's
testing program, Florida Firecats coach Kevin Bouis said there is no
such program in place. He said costs were likely the sticking point.

As for a time frame for when a drug testing policy may be put in
place in the ECHL, McKenna said one has not been set.

"Some of that is going to be dependent on the AHL. Our feeling is
that whatever we would rush into would have to be changed anyway, so
we're going to move slowly," McKenna said. "Now we're going to move
quickly to put together a committee and discuss it and try to get
educated on the issues and how we need to move, but we don't have a
strict timeline.

"We share a concern: we want to make sure we have something in place
that's good for the health of our players. However, we want to do
something, too, that is comprehensive and consistent with what's
going on in other leagues."

Staff writer Scott Hotard contributed to this story.

Page 33 From Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article XV: Miscellaneous

Section 7: Drug Testing / Education / Sanctions

Drug testing, education and sanctions are issues that need study. A
joint select committee composed of the Commissioner and the Executive
Director with such other representatives as may be appointed by both
will be formed to conduct a study and determine the appropriate
measures, if any, to implement a mutually agreeable policy.