NHL requests meeting with Robin Lehner over medical malpractice accusations
Vegas goalie takes to Twitter in response to widening rift between Jack Eichel and Buffalo Sabres
The NHL has reached out out to Robin Lehner to set up an interview after the goaltender made several accusations on social media, including that teams give players drugs without a doctor's consent, a league spokesperson confirmed.
Lehner claimed on Twitter on Saturday that teams had offered prescription medication to players without prescriptions.
The goalie made the allegations on social media in response to a widening rift between former teammate Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres over surgery for a neck injury.
In a series of posts, the 30-year-old claimed that "many other teams" offered benzodiazepines and Ambien — medications typically used to treat insomnia — to players without prescriptions.
Lehner said that the Golden Knights are not among the teams he's played for that engage in those practices but later called out the Philadelphia Flyers and declared head coach Alain Vigneault should be fired for "treating people [like] robots not human."
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? Asking for a friend 👀 this doesn’t happen in Vegas to be clear. But I know many other teams. I also been in on teams that do?
—@RobinLehnerIn a statement Sunday, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher denied that allegation.
"The health and well-being of our players is our top priority, and any care provided to them comes from the team's health-care professionals, not the coaching staff," Fletcher said. "We have no reason to believe any of our players have received improper care."
Lehner also accused the Sabres of mismanaging an ankle injury when he played for them. The Sabres did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Lehner tweeted at the league and Players' Association that they know how to reach him.
A second-round draft pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2009, Lehner has spent 11 seasons with the Senators, Sabres, New York Islanders and Chicago during the course of his career before joining the Golden Knights in Feburary 2020.
With files from The Associated Press
