Former Canucks coach Alain Vigneault called out by NHL goalie

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include follow up comments from Robin Lehner

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault is among those named in explosive accusations by an NHL goalie in a series of tweets.

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner asked on Twitter, “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.”

#PhiladelphiaFlyers ? Dinosaur coach treating people robots not human. Fire these dinosaurs. Fire #vigneault first story. I got proof.. try to shake your way out of this one ….

— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) October 3, 2021

The 30-year-old goes on to say he has proof that some teams give sedatives and anxiety pills without a prescription, but that it doesn’t happen in Las Vegas.

“And they say ambien is (sic) sleeping pill it’s funny that rehab told me that’s why didn’t have rem (sic) sleep. 8 years no rem (sic) sleep. Great. But yeah just sleeping pills,” he added in the thread.

Lehner then goes on to call for Alain Vigneault to be fired – seemingly accusing the coach of being a part of the problem.

Vigneault coached the Canucks to the Stanley Cup final in 2011 and is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.

“#PhiladelphiaFlyers ? Dinosaur coach treating people robots not human. Fire these dinosaurs. Fire #vigneault first story. I got proof.. try to shake your way out of this one ….” Lehner wrote on Twitter. 

The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Alain Vigneault in 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Vigneault has never coached a team Lehner has been on.

“I don’t know where that comes from,” Vigneault said Monday morning when he was asked about the allegations.

“Two things he said about me were that I was a dinosaur, I consider myself experienced. Dinosaur? With experience you become a dinosaur, maybe?” he said during a Flyers’ media briefing.

“I do know I’ve been coaching a few years, and I am tough, I am demanding, but I care about my players,” he said, adding he knows not everyone will like him but he’s always acted with the best of intention and with respect.

“I don’t know the young man who said that,” Vigneault said of Lehner, going to on refute the claims against him. “As far as the other thing, me pushing pills? I don’t need another income. I have no idea where that comes from. I don’t know what else to say.”

On Monday morning, ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan wrote on social media that Lehner had clarified that he was never accusing Vigneault of distributing pills to players but was rather making a comment on “the way the coach treats players.”

Robin Lehner clarifies: he never was accusing Alain Vigneault of distributing pills to players. His claim was about the way the coach treats players, which he believes is unacceptable.

Lehner had a good call with the NHLPA yesterday. We’ll see what comes of the story this week.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) October 4, 2021

According to Health Canada, both benzodiazepines and Ambien (zolpidem) are only legally available by prescription and are used to treat sleep disorders. They are both addictive and should only be used under the guidance of a doctor, experts say.

I’ve made crazy amount of mistakes. But lying about what I’ve seen for 12 years not one of them. I don’t care what they say I don’t lie about these things. ???? true. I’ll keep going. Have stored stories for a year. Watch now when nhl will try cancel me. God luck whatever lie you

— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) October 3, 2021

In a statement Sunday, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher denied the allegation against the coach.

“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.”

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league intends to speak with the player about his tweets, but did not initially have plans to launch an investigation until a conversation can be had with Lehner.

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It’s very rare for an active player to make any accusations publicly against the NHL.

But this isn’t the first time Lehner has called for changes to be made in the hockey community.

In 2019 he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance after he revealed he suffers from addiction and mental health issues. He said he hoped by going public with his story, it will send a message that more needs to be done.

With files from Sportsnet and The Associated Press