Robin Lehner Brought a Flamethrower to the NHL Yesterday

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner is not one to mince words or hold back his truth. In recent years, the former Blackhawk, has come forward with his own struggles in his life and has become an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and an advocate for better treatment of NHL players and others when it comes to how the league handles their health, safety, and well-being during and after their playing careers.

Yesterday, Lehner went full force on Twitter against the Buffalo Sabres’ handling of Jack Eichel’s injury, the league’s handling of the situation, the Player’s association, and how his own injuries were dealt with over the years. Here’s a quick rundown from his timeline:

https://twitter.com/RobinLehner/status/1444339170030329860?s=20

https://twitter.com/RobinLehner/status/1444474877117796355?s=20

The final statement from Lehner was surely enough to get the attention of the league, accusing his former teams and current Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault of less-than-upstanding practices.

For context from TSN’s Rick Westhead:

Lehner is essentially holding the league and the NHLPA hostage. That happened from a current NHL starting goalie for one of the top Stanley Cup contenders this season. As you can imagine, he 1000% got the league’s attention.

Lehner wasn’t alone last night either. Another former Blackhawk, Dan Carcillo, took to social media to continue his message on behalf of himself and his former Blackhawks teammate and friend Steve Montador.

As the 2021-22 season gets underway, the league and The Blackhawks are under fire and under the microscope. While some might brush aside Lehner and Carcillo’s comments or impacts around the league, calling them “unwell” “crazy” or “out for money” these are guys who have the first-hand knowledge of what is happening. For a league that has denied the connection between a high-speed, high-contact sport and its impact on concussions, it would be unsurprising if Lehner’s experiences and stories were not true. That what he’s gone through in his career from injuries to personal well-being is not an isolated experience in the NHL.

We shall see what happens next for Lehner and the league, but last night was a player using his platform to try to better the experience in the NHL for himself, as well as current, former, and future players in the league.

written by

Mario Tirabassi is a writer for Bleacher Nation. You can follow him on Twitter @Mario_Tirabassi.

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