Want to Play Hockey in the CIS? Become a Convicted Felon

There was some excellent discourse provided by my avid readers in yesterday’s comments section. I have nothing to add, but I’m pleased I was able to catalyze such passionate, well-informed debate.

Mike Danton, former NHL player and the mastermind behind a failed murder-for-hire plot, has been given permission to attend Saint Mary’s University in Halifax and play on the varsity hockey team.

Wow.

Let’s tackle the ten ton ex-con elephant in the room first. I am all for giving people who have made mistakes a second chance; that is the point of the correctional system. If correctional officials believe a convict is rehabilitated, then that person has every right to be given the opportunity to become a functional member of society. Otherwise, we should just gas every person currently in prison and save the tax dollars.

“Rehabilitated? To me, it's just a made-up word, a politician's word so that young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have a job . . . So you go on and stamp your forms, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit.”

I have no problem with Mike Danton going to university for an education; good for him. I am slightly concerned that he is being allowed to play on the hockey team. Hockey, and a perverse relationship with the creepy David Frost, is what led Danton down such a destructive path in the first place.

If I’m a parent of an eighteen year old kid playing hockey at Saint Mary’s, do I really want my boy in the same dressing room as Danton? For some insane reason, Danton still does not hold any ill will towards David Frost, a man accused of sexual impropriety with teenagers back in the mid 1990s.

How do we know Frost won’t be poking around the rink in the next few weeks?

I’m not sure if playing hockey is the best course of action for Mike Danton at this point.

The other issue is that some people don’t think that Danton, at 29 and with NHL experience, should be allowed to play Canadian university hockey. The CIS is not as stringent as the NCAA when it comes to eligibility and I think that’s a great quirk of Canadian college sports.

If a twenty-nine year old wants to play, he should be allowed to play. It’s as simple as that. If he’s taking courses and is registered as a student, then more power to him.

And yes, I’m just agreeing with the CIS regulations because I plan to make a university baseball comeback when I’m thirty and relive all of my post secondary glory. I may even try to live in residence.

I loved the quote from Saint Mary’s Athletic Director, Steve Sarty, who said that Danton won’t be suiting up for the Huskies right away, instead “it’s more important for us to get him acclimatized to school, used to the routine.”

Bullshit.

Like Saint Mary’s gives two shits about Danton’s education. They admitted him as a student to help them win the CIS championship and that’s it. I am actually pretty curious to see how many points Danton can score in half a season.

Can he lead the league? Will he have a mental episode? Will he team up with Alex Burrows and try to get an unfair referee killed?

Stay tuned.