Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay releases statement after doping violation

On Monday, some shocking news came out of the college hockey world, as this year's Hobey Baker winner in Dryden McKay accepted a six-month «period of ineligibility» for violating an anti-doping rule.

McKay, 24, was just very recently awarded the Hobey Baker, an award given annually to college's top ice hockey player. It is being reported that he tested positive for a substance called ostarine, which is prohibited at all times by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Shortly after the news, however, he released a statement of his own, and from the sounds of things this may just be an unfortunate mistake rather than intentional cheating.

The Minnesota State University goaltender said in his lengthy statement that he has found out that a vitamin D3 immune booster he was taking to help prevent him from contracting COVID-19 ended up having ostarine in it. He has since learned that the amount in his system at the time he tested positive was minute levels, or in other words, trillionths of a gram. According to his attorney, the level was so small that it could be comparable to a grain of salt in a swimming pool, which means that it gave him no athletic edge over his opponents.

By all accounts, the USADA believes McKay, as they chose to give him just a six-month suspension rather than the usual four-year ban. This means that he will be able to resume practicing with any interested professional team beginning Aug. 25, and will be able to play in games by Oct. 11. From the sounds of things, NHL teams are hesitant on him due to his relatively small, five-foot-eleven stature. Nonetheless, he will likely get a shot with an AHL club and can work himself up from there. It isn't ideal, but it is a far better situation than what could have potentially happened.

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