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Blues Forward Kasperi Kapanen Opens Up On Substance Abuse and How He ‘Tried Using Alcohol To Almost Mask Those Feelings’
Last year, Kasperi Kapaneni found himself in trouble after police caught him drunk causing difficulty in his home nation of Finland.
![Kasperi Kapanen [Credit-Instagram@kasperikapanen1]](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/1351795921_bryce-harper-and-juan-soto-credit-instagramkasperikapanen1.jpg "Kasperi Kapanen [Credit-Instagram@kasperikapanen1]")
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to alcohol and drug addiction
Kasperi Kapanen, a forward for the St. Louis Blues, spoke with Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat about his fight with alcohol. Last year, the 27-year-old was detained for drunk driving in Finland, and he suffered legal repercussions.
Kasperi was first reluctant to discuss the event with his father, former NHL player Sami Kapanen, and felt humiliation and guilt before speaking publicly about it.
"I didn't even dare to tell my father, because I knew he would be really disappointed," Kapanen said. "I think I told my mother and of course my girlfriend knew about it. I only told the others when the matter came out in September. It was such a big shame for me."
Pressure caught up to Kasperi Kapanen
Kapanen said that he turned to drink to deal with the problems. "At some point, there was more drinking that I didn't do it to celebrate, but because there was so much pressure, annoyance, or anxiety during the season," Kapanen added. "I tried to use alcohol to almost mask those feelings." Kapanen is now focusing on his recuperation, with help from those around him.
What did Kasperi Kapanen do?
On September 8, 2023, St. Louis Blues forward Kasperi Kapanen faced severe charges of aggravated drunk driving arising from an incident in Finland the month before. The lawsuit, as reported by Finland's Yle, was assigned to the district court of North Savo, with a hearing scheduled for February 2024.
To that, Kapanen openly admitted his "unacceptable error in judgment" and apologized. He also apologized to his family, the Blues organization, his teammates, and the fans.
“Last month I made an unacceptable error in judgment and take full responsibility for my actions. I offer my apologies to my family, the Blues organization, my teammates, and the fans," Kapanen said.
"I understand the severity of my mistake and am committed to doing everything I can to earn back their trust,” Kapanen added.
Kasperi Kapanen is an important part of St. Louis Blues
Despite all of this, the Blues remained confident in Kapanen's capacity to learn from his mistakes and move ahead constructively.
On July 1, 2024, the St. Louis Blues signed Kasperi Kapanen to a one-year deal for $1 million. Kapanen's most productive season with the Toronto Maple Leafs was 2018-19 when he scored 20 goals and 44 points.
Last season, he scored 22 points in 73 games for the Blues. Kapanen has 208 points in 460 NHL games, playing for Toronto, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.
The Blues gained momentum after adding Kapanen and Jakub Vrana. Kapanen and Vrana may not have the same high-end quality as some of the players the Blues were forced to trade, but they do have skill and something to prove.
If Kapanen has any further troubles, the Blues are in trouble. They have lots of young players in their system, but none of them are ready to play in the NHL full-time. For all we know, once the skates are laced and the pads are placed on, Kapanen will put this behind him and continue as if nothing happened.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same.
Also Read: Why Is It Called National Hockey League If There Are Teams From Two Countries? Find Out
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