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NHL suspends Nate Schmidt 20 games; Golden Knights ‘strongly disagree’

By James O'BrienSep 2, 2018, 12:37 PM EDT
19 Comments

Last season bordered on magical for Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt. The 2018-19 season may feel more like a nightmare, at least to start.

The NHL rendered an eyebrow-raising verdict on Sunday, handing Schmidt a 20-game suspension -without pay – for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Such a suspension also includes a mandatory referral to the NHL/NHLPA Program for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health “for evaluation and possible treatment.”

The NHL didn’t detail the substance Schmidt tested positive for.

If the league suspending Schmidt for almost a quarter of the season doesn’t blow your mind enough, the responses from the team and player should do the trick.

The Golden Knights noted “a trace amount” of whatever substance, and that they didn’t agree with the suspension:

“We were notified that the NHL has suspended Nate Schmidt for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. While we respect the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and are committed to its success, we strongly disagree with the suspension. We firmly believe that the presence of a trace of the banned substance was accidental and unintentional. Based on our conversations with Nate, analysis from independent medical experts and sworn testimony from the parties involved, we believe it is clear Nate was not able to reasonably ascertain how the substance entered his body.

Nate is an honest person with high moral character and great integrity. We will stand by him and support him during this time.”

While that felt a little bit soaked in PR-speak (though still strongly-worded by those terms), Schmidt’s statement almost demands a gasp.

[MORE: Looking back at the suspensions for Horcoff, Konopoka, and Tinordi.]

The full release will be listed in a moment, but grab your popcorn and enjoy a few selected highlights (for those of you whose eyes might glaze over during a longer reading session?):

  • Early in the statement, Schmidt notes how surreal it is for him, not to mention all of us, adding that “I have only used supplements provided by my NHL team and I have always been extremely careful about what I put into my body.”
  • He went to essentially get second and third opinions, which led him to state that the “7 billionths of a milligram/mL” of the mystery substance was compared by an expert to “the equivalent of a pinch of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.” Wow.
  • Most simply, Schmidt wrote that “I do not agree with the suspension and will not be labeled a cheater.”
  • It appears, then, that Schmidt lost his appeal.

OK, here’s the full statement:

“I am extremely disappointed to learn that I have been suspended for a violation of the NHL/ NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. The fact that I’m issuing this statement is surreal to me as I have only used supplements provided by my NHL team and I have always been extremely careful about what I put into my body. Throughout my playing career I have been tested numerous times, including twice last season, and I have never before tested positive. It was utterly shocking to be informed that I tested positive for a microscopic amount of a tainted substance. Not only did I not intentionally take a banned substance, I could not have received any performance enhancement benefit from the trace amount that inadvertently got into my system at a level that was far too small to have any effect. This low amount was consistent with environmental contamination that I could not possibly have prevented.

One of the experts in environmental contamination who testified on my behalf at the Appeal hearing described the amount of the substance found in my system – 7 billionths of a milligram/mL – as the equivalent of a pinch of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Another expert analyzed a sample of my hair and concluded there was no evidence of intentional use. The Vegas Golden Knights track players’ strength and performance metrics and my results have remained constant over the past year.

While I support having a strong Performance Enhancing Substances Program in place for our sport, it is difficult to accept this suspension. I understand that I will miss these games, but I do not agree with the suspension and I will not accept being labelled a cheater.

I have worked my whole life to become an NHL player, and I’m extremely proud to be a player in the NHL. I have never cut corners in order to achieve this goal. I am grateful for the support of the entire Golden Knights organization and I can’t put into words how disappointed I am that I will not be on the ice at the beginning of the season to help my teammates work towards another Stanley Cup run.”

In every single case, the NHL, Golden Knights, and Schmidt noted that there would be no further statements.

There’s also this from Schmidt’s agent:

Staggering stuff. Testing violations simply don’t happen very often in the NHL, for whatever reason, with three names coming to mind: Shawn Horcoff, Zenon Konopka, and Jarred Tinordi. Schmidt, 27, is set to enter a contract year in 2018-19, carrying a $2.25 million cap hit and $2.3M salary, via Cap Friendly.

Cap Friendly also notes that the actual pay situation is a bit more complicated.

The Golden Knights are losing a huge part of what made their Cinderella season work. Schmidt generated 36 points in 2017-18, more than doubling his previous career-high. He logged 22:14 TOI per game during the regular season, only to see his duties expand during Vegas’ run to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, averaging 24:25 minutes per night. Schmidt topped Golden Knights skaters in average ice time in both the regular season and postseason.

Next season seemed like an opportunity for Schmidt to cement his place as a go-to defenseman, and earn a raise from his current bargain rate. To put things mildly, that situation is now far from settled.

MORE: How will Schmidt suspension affect Vegas Golden Knights?

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

NHL Team Previews: Examining past, present, future

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By Sean LeahyAug 31, 2018, 5:07 PM EDT
1 Comment

Throughout the month of August we examined different aspects of all 31 NHL teams. We looked back at their 2017-18 season, took a dip in their prospect pool, pointed out a player/coach/executive under pressure, highlighted a player coming off a breakthrough season, and asked questions about the future.

Thanks for reading and for the feedback on each post. Below are links to every team day post from the last month to get you ready for the 2018-19 campaign. Training camps open in two weeks!

2017-18 REVIEW
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks 
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets

UNDER PRESSURE
Jake Allen
Mike Babcock
Jim Benning
Bruce Boudreau
Scott Darling
Pierre Dorion
John Gibson
Connor Hellebuyck
Mike Hoffman
Carter Hutton
Jack Johnson
Evander Kane
Jarmo Kekalainen
Ilya Kovalchuk
Dylan Larkin
Robin Lehner
Nathan MacKinnon
Joel Quenneville
Carey Price
Antti Raanta
Tuukka Rask
Todd Reirden
Pekka Rinne
Cory Schneider
Tyler Seguin
Kevin Shattenkirk
Cam Talbot
Tomas Tatar
Brad Treliving
James van Riemsdyk
Steve Yzerman

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BUILDING OFF A BREAKTHROUGH
Mathew Barzal
Brock Boeser
Pavel Buchnevich
Thomas Chabot
Kyle Connor
Evgenii Dadonov
Alex DeBrincat
Jake DeBrusk
Travis Dermott
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Matt Dumba
Vince Dunn
Radek Faksa
Kevin Fiala
Brendan Gallagher
Noah Hanifin
Nico Hischier
William Karlsson
Ondrej Kase
Clayton Keller
Adrian Kempe
Travis Konecny
Anthony Mantha
Timo Meier
Darnell Nurse
Jamie Oleksiak
Brayden Point
Mikko Rantanen
Sam Reinhart
Teuvo Teravainen
Tom Wilson

THREE QUESTIONS
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets

MORE:
• Where should Jonathan Toews rank among NHL’s top centers?
• Q&A: Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar
• Back issue makes Henrik Zetterberg’s future ‘real unknown’
• Panthers do one thing about as well as anyone in the NHL
• Expect huge year from Max Pacioretty no matter where he plays
• Rangers could once again be active in trade market
• Will Sidney Crosby win another scoring title in his career?
• Sabres’ Eichel focuses on keeping fiery emotions in check
• Maple Leafs should be NHL’s best offensive team

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.

How will Schmidt suspension affect Vegas Golden Knights?

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By James O'BrienSep 2, 2018, 5:43 PM EDT
4 Comments

Earlier today, the NHL announced a 20-game suspension for Nate Schmidt, a decision that both the player and team disagreed with.

Schmidt’s strongly worded statement indicates that the sides have already gone through the appeal process, so barring any other twists, it seems like he’ll be suspended through the first 20 games of the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2018-19 season.

The Golden Knights – and everyone else involved – stated that they won’t have any further comments regarding the suspension itself, but what about how the team will deal with the loss of Schmidt? Because, as much as Vegas’ defense succeeded – to some extent – by committee, the former Capitals defenseman topped Vegas in time on ice during both the regular season and playoffs. He is, to put it mildly, very important, and losing him for about a quarter of the campaign hurts.

We might get more insight on how reigning Jack Adams winner Gerard Gallant will handle the loss (and if reigning GM of the Year George McPhee might also react), so stay tuned at PHT. That said, for those who want some early insight into the impact of this loss, let’s consider multiple factors.

Golden Knights lose a go-to guy

Schmidt averaged 22:14 TOI during 76 regular-season games, then saw his ice time climb to 24:25 per night during the playoffs. Again, both of those averages topped all Golden Knights skaters, with the regular season margin being healthy at about two minutes per game (Shea Theodore came in second with a 20:21 average, with Deryk Engelland right behind him at 20:17), a margin that was similar – yet more pronounced – during the postseason (Theodore averaged 21:48, Engelland at 21:40).

So, while Schmidt didn’t average the bonkers ice time of a Ryan Suter during the regular season, he clearly was the No. 1 guy in Gallant’s eyes. With 2:13 shorthanded TOI and 2:25 on the power play during the playoffs and comparable special teams numbers during the regular season, Schmidt was used as an all-situations guy.

(Schmidt’s most common even-strength defensive partner was Brayden McNabb, according to Natural Stat Trick.)

Beyond Schmidt, Theodore and Colin Miller were logging plenty of time on the man advantage, while Engelland and McNabb were steady penalty killers. Schmidt bridged the gap between those two specialists, in a way, so Vegas loses versatility first and foremost.

Who might step up? Should Vegas dip into the market?

Those previous numbers imply that, possibly, Schmidt’s minutes might just be dispersed between Miller, Engelland, Theodore, and McNabb. Gallant might just lean on all four evenly in their specialized roles. That seemed to be the case during four games in early March when Schmidt was out of the lineup; yes, that’s a small sample size, but Schmidt played in 76 of 82 games.

[These bans are rare, but here are three recent histories of such suspensions]

If those four players can mostly match their work from 2017-18, that’s not the most dire scenario. As with sports, you might expect slippage; after all, Engelland’s generally solid work came as a surprise, while Miller and McNabb are now enjoying the security of long-term deals. (Theodore, meanwhile, still needs a deal as an RFA and probably opened a champagne bottle after seeing Noah Hanifin get paid.)

Vegas didn’t see those key guys leave in free agency, but they didn’t exactly break the bank for reinforcements on defense, either. Nick Holden, 31, is the most noteworthy addition, while they got rid of fading veterans Luca Sbisa and Jason Garrison.

Holden stands as a modest upgrade over some of the lowest-end guys, but probably not much more than that.

It makes you wonder if maybe McPhee should consider bringing in some additional depth. No, there aren’t a ton of promising options on the UFA defensemen market, but Cody Franson seems like a low-risk, OK-reward signing, one who could make sense as a bottom-pairing guy or injury insurance even after Schmidt’s suspension ends.

Those 20 games

It doesn’t hurt to glance at Vegas’ opening schedule and try to gauge how difficult life will be. Take a look at the first 20 games of the 2018-19 season (four of which air on NBCSN):

Thu, Oct 4 vs Philadelphia
Sat, Oct 6 @ Minnesota
Mon, Oct 8 @ Buffalo
Wed, Oct 10 @ Washington
Thu, Oct 11 @ Pittsburgh
Sat, Oct 13 @ Philadelphia
Tue, Oct 16 vs Buffalo
Sat, Oct 20 vs Anaheim
Wed, Oct 24 vs Vancouver
Fri, Oct 26 vs Tampa Bay
Sun, Oct 28 vs Ottawa
Tue, Oct 30 @ Nashville
Thu, Nov 1 @ St. Louis
Sat, Nov 3 vs Carolina
Tue, Nov 6 @ Toronto
Thu, Nov 8 @ Ottawa
Sat, Nov 10 @ Montreal
Sun, Nov 11 @ Boston
Wed, Nov 14 vs Anaheim
Fri, Nov 16 vs St. Louis

The Golden Knights may end up missing Schmidt most during that early five-game road trip, along with that stretch of six of seven games away from home spanning Oct. 30 – Nov. 11.

It’s not all bad, though. There are only two back-to-back sets, and while they have fewer home (nine) than road (11) games, it’s not by an enormous margin. Vegas has a decent shot to navigate that quarter-season without its ice time leader from 2017-18.

Contract year uncertainty for Schmidt

Schmidt was already coming into 2018-19 on a cheap deal, as his cap hit is just $2.25 million with a $2.3M salary. Now he’s expected to lose almost $500K (via TSN’s Frank Seravalli), and the biggest cost might be how this situation affects his next contract.

With a nice 36-point output and top pair duty, Schmidt already raised his standing in the NHL, and it seemed like he might join Ryan Ellis and other defensemen cashing in before they hit 2019 free agency. Schmidt loses out on 20 games to cement his status as a top-pairing defenseman, possibly even increasing his standing in the eyes of NHL executives.

Now, who knows? It’s a disappointing situation for the defenseman, to put things mildly.

***

While there have been other 20-game suspensions for performance-enhancing substances, every other instance was a player who wasn’t a significant part of a team (with all apologies to 2015-16 Shawn Horcoff).

The Golden Knights were already facing a serious challenge in showing that their incredible first season in the NHL wasn’t a fluke. Their second season hasn’t even begun and they’ve already lost Schmidt, their leading defenseman from last season, for 20 games.

How will Vegas adjust, and how will Schmidt perform once his suspension is over? Those are fascinating questions, and serious hurdles for the player and team.

—

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Two familiar names are KHL-bound; Capitals ink interesting KHL forward

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By James O'BrienSep 2, 2018, 3:41 PM EDT
1 Comment

The KHL’s 2018-19 season began this weekend (waves to Nail Yakupov), so it probably shouldn’t be too shocking to see some transactions that will ring a few bells. Let’s consider two now-former-NHL-players heading overseas, and the Capitals’ investment in bringing a KHL scorer to North America.

Alexei Emelin (pictured: bottom right)

The 32-year-old defenseman isn’t just signing in the KHL; it sounds like he’ll be there for more than just a one year “I can still play, take me back NHL!”-type deal. Instead, Avangard inked Emelin for three years.

Emelin spent the first six years of his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, appearing in 380 regular-season games and 29 playoff contests for the Habs. He was then scooped up by the Vegas Golden Knights during the expansion draft, only to be traded to the Nashville Predators. He appeared in 76 regular-season games with Nashville, and then also suited up for 10 playoff contests, averaging a miniscule 11:19 during the postseason run. He clearly struggled to crack a stout Predators defensive lineup after being fairly prominent during his last two seasons with Montreal.

The hard-hitting defenseman had his critics, and it’s easy to see why analytics-minded people would critique him.

While the modern game seems to be leaving Emelin behind, it’s almost a little surprising some “old-school” type didn’t scoop him up. Maybe the KHL deal, considering the term, was just far more lucrative?

Kris Versteeg (pictured: top)

Avangard also signed Kris Versteeg recently, in this case to a one-year contract (so maybe this one is a “please take me back, NHL!” deal).

That KHL team ultimately boasts quite a few familiar names. Along with Versteeg and Emelin, Avangard also currently employs Max Talbot and David Desharnais. A lot of the new guys from around the KHL are apparently performing well to start.

Last season wasn’t particularly impressive stuff from Versteeg (eight points in 24 games, mediocre possession stats), as the 32-year-old struggled in his second season with the Calgary Flames. You wonder if he might be able to find a gig somewhere around the NHL in 2019-20, though, as he isn’t that far removed from fairly solid supporting cast work.

Still, Versteeg enjoyed a solid run in the NHL if this is it for him at this level, and he can look back at memories of winning two Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sergei Shumakov (pictured: bottom left)

While those two veterans left the NHL for the KHL, the reverse happened as the Washington Capitals signed Shumakov, 25, to a one-year, two-way deal.

The undrafted forward tied for CSKA Moscow’s team lead in 2017-18 by scoring 40 points in 47 games, including 17 goals (those 40 points ranked him 18th in the KHL). He’s shown nifty hands at times, like here:

Sergei Shumakov scored a lacrosse style goal in the @khl today. . (Via: Twitter/ Aivis Kalnins)

A post shared by TSN (@tsn_official) on

And here:

Russian Machine Never Breaks has all your Shumakov tattoo-related needs covered here.

Is he someone who can make a dent in the lineup, or possibly be even more than that? Considering that he signed a two-way deal, it’s possible that Shumakov could go either way. It sure seems like a low-risk addition for Washington, overall, though.

Apologies if that second Shumakov highlight got “The Offspring” in your head. That song is now in mine, too, if that’s any consolation.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Recalling other NHL suspensions for performance-enhancing substances

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By James O'BrienSep 2, 2018, 2:46 PM EDT
2 Comments

The 20-game suspension of Nate Schmidt isn’t just surprising because of how out-of-left-field it felt, not to mention how much the loss will hurt for the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s also surprising because, frankly, suspensions for performance-enhancing substances don’t really happen that often in the NHL.

Such a notion might prompt some curiosity about the few recent cases where this did happen, though.

Here are three semi-recent cases of the NHL handing out suspensions for violations of “the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.” If any other examples stand out to you – this is limited to fairly contemporary cases, but feel free to go further back in time – absolutely share such occurrences in the comments.

For more on the Schmidt suspension, click here.

Zenon Konopka (pictured: bottom left)

On May 15, 2014, the NHL announced that Zenon Konopka was suspended 20 games. Much like with Schmidt, the precise substance wasn’t disclosed.

There were some key differences in Konopka’s case, however.

While Schmidt (and his team) release statements disagreeing with the NHL’s verdict, Konopka instead apologized for his failed test, stating that he took “full responsibility for this error.”

That said, Konopka did claim that the substances weren’t really enhancing his performance:

I want to make it clear that this violation occurred because I ingested a product that can be purchased over-the-counter and which, unknown to me, contained a substance that violated the program. Unfortunately, I did not take the necessary care to ensure that the product did not contain a prohibited substance. I want to stress, however, that I did not take this substance for the purpose of enhancing my athletic performance.

Konopka expressed a hope that he would move on to the 2014-15 season, but little seemed to happen after that suspension. He officially retired after signing a one-day contract with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.

It doesn’t appear that things worked out for Konopka, sadly, as hockeydb has no listings beyond 2013-14 (not in the NHL or any other league), the season that concluded before his failed test. Konopka reportedly signed in Poland in 2015, but there aren’t a ton of details about how that worked out. With enforcers on the wane in hockey over recent years (Konopka generated 1,082 penalty minutes, but just 30 points over 346 regular-season NHL games), it’s possible that he was nearing the end of his playing days, anyway.

Either way, not much happened for Konopka following that suspension, which he never technically served.

Shawn Horcoff (pictured: top)

Horcoff received a 20-game suspension on Jan. 26, 2016. The suspension cost him about $357,526.88, according to the NHL.

In a statement regarding the suspension, Horcoff said that he “tried a treatment that I believed would help speed up the healing process,” but was unaware that the treatment “was not permitted under NHL rules.”

Here’s a longer excerpt from that release:

Although I was unaware that this treatment was not permitted under NHL rules, that is no excuse whatsoever. I should have done my research and I should have checked with the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program’s doctors. I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I am sorry.

Horcoff ended up returning to the Anaheim Ducks on March 14 after serving that suspension, generating five assists in 14 remaining regular-season games.

The veteran player ended his career after the 2015-16 season after appearing in 1,008 regular-season games and serving as the captain of the Edmonton Oilers. He’s serving as the Detroit Red Wings’ director of player development and has been with the organization since 2016.

Jarred Tinordi (pictured: bottom right)

Tinordi, 26, joins Nate Schmidt as an active player who’s been suspended 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Tinordi’s suspension was announced on March 9, 2016. The defenseman stated that he was “extremely disappointed” by the suspension, claiming that he didn’t “knowingly take a banned substance.”

Things got pretty fuzzy around that situation. Tinordi was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Arizona Coyotes, with Habs GM Marc Bergevin provided a vague explanation:

“I have a reason that I can’t really tell you why,” said Bergevin, “But if I could, you would probably understand.”

At the time, some believed that Bergevin was discussing John Scott being involved in the trade, but in hindsight, many wondered if he was actually alluding to Tinordi’s suspension. The Arizona Coyotes were “caught by surprise” that Tinordi was suspended, but the NHL’s Bill Daly stated that he had no reason to believe that Montreal “acted inappropriately.”

Whatever the case may be, Tinordi did not play with the Coyotes in another game after that suspension ended. In fact, he hasn’t been able to appear in an NHL game since, as he’s spent the last two seasons playing exclusively in the AHL after being waived following the suspension.

The former first-rounder (22nd overall by Montreal in 2010) is on a two-way contract with the Nashville Predators, which was signed on July 1. Will he ever get to see any NHL action again, even just for a “cup of coffee?” That remains to be seen.

***

As you can see from the recaps above, two of the three players listed (Konopka and Tinordi) haven’t appeared in an NHL game since their suspensions happened/ended. Horcoff saw his career wind down. There are some similarities and differences between their responses and the strongly worded statement Schmidt made about his 20-game suspension.

In all three situations, it’s unclear how much the suspensions factored into their waning NHL opportunities. Yes, Tinordi was a first-rounder, but a struggling one at that. NHL franchises covet experience, but Horcoff was getting long in the tooth. Konopka was an aging enforcer.

So, in a lot of ways, we haven’t really seen many situations like that of Schmidt, who topped Golden Knights skaters in average time on ice during both the regular season and playoffs in 2017-18. It’s somewhere between an unusual and a flat-out unique situation, and we’ll need to wait and see how this situation works out.

MORE: How will Schmidt suspension affect Vegas Golden Knights?

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Hockey teams fearing ‘Fortnite’ is pretty adorable

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By James O'BrienSep 1, 2018, 3:33 PM EDT
2 Comments

If you want to be bummed out, if not lose hope for humanity, just scroll through the news of the day. Unfortunately, the odds are high that you’ll feel worse than when you started.

It’s in these trying times that we can soothe our souls with the sheer, lovable goofiness that is the latest talk about how teams fear the impact of the wildly popular video game “Fortnite” on prospects.

To review, TSN’s Rick Westhead made some waves with this tweet regarding OHL prospects, something we should all really take a step back and just enjoy:

Oh, hockey people. Your understanding of that outside world/museums cannot ever be understated.

It must be said that this is far from the first time that “Fortnite” has been tarred. In case you missed it, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek discussed during an episode of the “31 Thoughts” Podcast that an unnamed “first-round pick” from a prominent NHL team whose career may never take thanks to an addiction to the battle royale game.

It’s all … funny, honestly.

Granted, there is the concern that a player with high-level hands will develop a dreaded case of “Nintendo Thumb.”

Scary stuff, gang.

Now, yes, it’s true that the American Psychiatric Association is taking a look at gaming disorder as a legitimate concern, but this all smells of us oldies not quite understanding what those young’uns are into these days. One could picture scouts being terrified over a young prospect needing to “collect them all” to the detriment of on-ice development back in 1992:

Erik Gudbranson really gets at the heart of the matter: a lot of us don’t get “Fortnite” because we’re old, and we might as well get used to being passed by thanks to the next thing those whippersnappers end up becoming obsessed with.

“To be honest with you, these kids are too good at this game,” Gudbranson said recently, via TSN’s Mark Masters. “I go on there, I get roasted, and you just get sick of it.”

(True. Few things sting as deeply as getting schooled by a teenager, especially when that was Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner.)

The fear of the polygonal unknown is honestly kind of charming, although it shines a light on how out-of-touch people can be when they’re deep in their hockey bubbles.

Maybe hockey teams do need to keep an eye on a player if such activities become an extreme outlier, but overall this feels like the hockey equivalent of being afraid to televise Elvis swiveling his hips. This is a far cry from rumbling about “Dry Islands,” after all. Such concerns would be easier to respect if scouts also worried about players spending too much time on golf courses, or other things they’re actually familiar with.

It must be surreal for Westhead, in particular, to discuss the perils of “Fortnite.” After all, Westhead tends to report on concussions, i.e. issues that actually do make a major impact on the lives and careers of hockey players.

A player indulging in too much Playstation should be filed under good problems to have, particularly when you consider the other ways one can spend their time. When you think of some of the extremely ugly scandals that surface in sports, “Fortnite phobia” borders on charming.

Instead of worrying about “Fortnite,” we should instead just enjoy the barbs.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.