So pathetic when the league denies a problem by turning a blind eye so they can claim there is no problem. The pain hockey players endure throughout a long season with little chance for recovery there is no doubt drug use is rampant. Every drug that is imaginable.
Like in regular society, there is less shame now and more help available…John didn’t have that opportunity…I remember an interview with his brother Dan who said he didn’t even really talk to him…guy was out of control but either was never offered help or refused it…sad story anytime a young person loses that battle
He became an instant favorite of mine in the '86 finals against the Flyers and the Flames. He didn't take anything off either team's goons! R.I.P. John
I think you must mean John's bother Dan Kordic, he played for the Flyers. John never played with the Fylers or the Flames. He played with the Montrael Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Washington Capitals and the Quebec Nordiques.
@@billijomaynard8924 Thanks, no I just worded it incorrectly. I meant against the Flames in the '86 cup final, and in the '87 division finals against the Flyers. I remember the Flames thought everyone was going back down after adding Fotiu, and the next post season, the Flyers had THREE kookaloos Brown, Hodspedar, and Berube Kordic took them all on.
@@jasonsabourin9547 No, Nancy Drew, if you are talking about the ONE bout in the '86 finals, the one that the game's commentator referred to as a "draw" NO, Hunter did not stop Kordic. The point was; that for the rest of the series, Kordic threw HIS weight around, verbally abused the Flames and physically challenged their goons to more fights, and they all backed down. (And followed up in '87 against Phil.) Check it out for yourself, I think all five games are uploaded.
As do I. The story I was told by people in Quebec seven Provos couldnt handle hm, so they put him down the way Provos have done before. Kordic had his problems, but seven guys can't subdue him without his death? Lung problems, yeah. Collapsed lungs sure are a problem.
@@bbb462cid I don't think they deliberately killed him. The way he was positioned face down and with his legs restrained ( basically hog tied) is what killed him. Nowadays ( at least at my agency), we are trained not to position people face down. We would also administer medication to sedate people in such a state.
Getting a concussion is not illegal using illegal drugs of course it is but it is a mental illness and I don’t think anyone is willing to really look at it honestly
There was help offered to him many times...he didn't want to listen! We all reach a point in our lives to grow up and accept responsibility but he knew better!
I had the privilege of meeting the legendary writer/broadcaster Dick Beddoes at an Argos game in 1990. I asked him about Kordic. Mr. Beddoes stated that he had several conversations with Kordic and was rooting for him to have a good training camp; they got along well. Well, the 1990 Leafs camp ended his stint in Toronto. I saw him play a preseason game that year in Buffalo. No effort in the warmup and even less during the ice time that he received. It was over in TO. Don't think he dressed for another preseason game. John Brophy pushed Gord Stellick to acquire him. The Leafs needed toughness. I don't think Broph, Gordie, or anyone in the organization knew of his issues at the time of the Kordic-Courtnall deal. I agree, Wood, that there was help and encouragement from many in Toronto. Beddoes told me that several people tried to talk to him. The Leafs even brought in his Mom to stay with him for a while. It was sad...Kordic had talent (he had a decent touch around the net) but he had too many demons. I hope that he has found peace. RIP JOHN.
That's a bit harsh but easy to pass judgement. Did you know him personally? Do you know what help was really offered to him? Were you there for him during some of his darkest hours? If not then you don't really know what he was enduring and how hard he was fighting or what was really offered to him, you are listening to third or fourth hand BS. It wasn't a question of needing to grow up. And we all forget, these guys are kids when they leave home and are drafted from small towns to big cities. All they know is hockey, that's all they knew from early on, then they are shipped off with no family, no support system and thrown more money than they've ever seen and are suddenly 'famous' with a lot of pressure and everyone wanting something. Those who are struggling, battling issues are left to their own devices at a very young age and there are always opportunists who are there to capitalize on the situation. You make it sound like he wanted his life to spiral into hell. That he chose to let his career be destroyed and eventually to join the dreaded 27 club in a box in the ground. I can tell you with a great deal of certainty, he didn't. Hockey was his life, it's all he knew but he had serious issues that the league refused to truly address in a way that would really benefit him and not just keep up appearances and keep things under wraps. I was there and I watched it first hand...help was not exactly what he got. More like threats. And don't be naive enough to believe anything they said at the time publicly. They lied. Addiction is not simply bad or childish behaviour that is easily remedied with a stern talking to. You can tell an addict to stop taking drugs a thousand times and they understand that it's bad and they want to stop but it's not about logic or knowing right from wrong, he was sick and those few who were close, knew he was on a dangerous path to an early death, it was harrowing and devastating to witness and to truly try to help, yet feel helpless in the end. And he didn't want that life, he wanted to really play hockey...and not just be a goon, he HATED that and they forced him to be what he loathed. And that pushed him into taking steroids to be that big bad monster and that didn't help with his addiction issues. He actually had some talent and could play but they wanted a beast or nothing at all. They would even punish him publicly for doing exactly what they told him to do privately. It drove him nuts. I watched him suffer and I watched try really hard. I was there during the most harrowing nightmares when I didn't know if he would make it through the night but couldn't call an ambulance because the press would have been all over it and his career would have ended and he made me promise, so I kept my promise. I saw things that I swore to him I would never share but it tore me apart, yet I stayed by his side. He didn't choose that, trust me! It was torture for him. And also when he worked really hard and got clean and things looked really promising. Seeing him playing really well, even scoring a few goals and hearing the crowd chanting his name and seeing that big, fat grin on his face made it all worth it. And we were hopeful that it would last. I was there when he called saying he totalled his Corvette and tried to get there before the media were swarming but they got their front page shame shot anyway. I was there when his amazing mother sobbed in my arms, fearing she would lose her baby boy. I was there the infamous night when he missed his game and was terrified, hiding from the phone constantly ringing, begging me not to answer. He didn't do that because he thought it would be fun or because he didn't give a shit. He was not ok and was terrified of losing his career more so than losing his life. I was also there when he was under house arrest right after that in early '90. His Mom and I, the only two who were there for him, guarding the door, screening his calls because his dealers were very crafty. And trying to keep him clean, sober and sane when he felt like a caged animal. I was the only person his mother trusted to take him outside once a day for a short walk around the block and I had to make sure he didn't get into any trouble... which wasn't always easy but still he lit up when someone recognized him and asked for his autograph on the street, especially kids, he was so sweet to them. I was just a clueless kid myself with no experience with anything like that but did whatever I could to help him when so many didn't. Most people are only there when you're on top, when things are easy and fun but they scatter when sh*t gets real. He was a good guy, he had a good heart and hockey meant the world to him but was battling serious issues that fans didn't know anything about and he really cared what his fans thought and hated to let them down. I was one of the people in the fall/winter of '89-'90 who was trying desperately to help him survive and make sure the press didn't find out the truth. Heart breaking and at times terrifying doesn't come close to covering it but when you are a true friend and you really care, you show up and you don't turn your back when things get ugly. His performance on the ice was not my main concern, his health and his life were. He needed serious help but with zero tolerance in place, his addiction had to be brushed under the carpet along with his health and his life. He really needed to be in rehab for several months and maybe to take some time off at home with his family but that would have ended his career soo he tried hard to battle his issues and continue playing while they bounced him around from team to team, dumping him because he had issues. Being alone and isolated with those issues was disastrous. That's how he ended up moving in with my boyfriend at the time, he needed an actual home with people, stability, friends who cared, not living alone in a dingy hotel room. I don't recall any team members showing up, not one but he was surrounded by vile scum who were more than happy to drain his money and continue to supply him with the poison that was killing him. He thought those p.o.s were friends. It's easy to judge when you don't know the truth and you didn't know the person behind the persona. I didn't mean to write a novel...I'm still very protective of him after all I witnessed. I loved him like a brother and it breaks my heart that his biggest fear came true. I can't tell you how many times I had to convince him...for hours that the police were not out to get him and they weren't going to hurt him during the darker days and nights. But just as he predicted, they did kill him in the end, he was right. All those assholes had to do was patiently and calmly talk to him and not freak out and get angry. If one clueless 22 year old, 115 pound unarmed girl could talk him down from one of his episodes without violence, you would think 9 trained law enforcement could have talked him down without beating the shit out of him and killing him. I was privy to what really happened, what those bastards lied about to cover their asses. That's what breaks my heart the most, his last moments on Earth were horrifying and he died such a violent, heartless death. Sorry for rambling, this is not meant to be preachy but to let people know the truth.
@@ryanwilliams8390 Thank you so much, I really appreciate that. I get rather hot under the collar when I see ignorant people trashing him. They didn't know what he really endured. I'm scrappy like he was! lol I'll never stop telling his story, to keep his memory alive and in hopes that it helps someone choose a different path. Take good care my friend.
I was told that Bruce mcdonald wrote a script re the story of kordic. Cbc and many others took a pass on producing it. I guess nothing good would come from it. The league, teams cover-ups would of been exposed To dark of a story Rip jk
I knew a project was in the works but didn't know Bruce MacDonald had written the screenplay. Of course the league passed on it, they had a lot to hide. And CBC are cowards. His story should have been told, it would have exposed so much about the league and others that needs to be brought to light. And the cover up of his death.
Good God, did that NHL President just say what I thought he said..??? " before a player becomes a Three time Loser .... he needs to become a one time User.".. WTF....?? Talk about a complete joke. He sounds exactly like ...what every former player/coach/trainer is saying, a President who rather sweep any Drug issue under the carpet and pretend ( or more like LIE.) about the fact that it IS an issue and the league needed to step up and create policies for any player who does have an addiction. That way they know help is OUT THERE. ...and situations like Kordic may have been prevented.
Thank you! Exactly! I knew John well when he played for the Leafs and the league truly failed him time and time again because admitting you have a drug problem was tantamount to ending your career ..'zero tolerance.' Their main concern was damage control in terms of PR. So how could anyone have come forward who needed help? They were on their own to fend for themselves with no support system in place which is a ticking time bomb. It was the giant elephant in the room that everyone saw but pretended not to, hoping it would go away, quietly on its own. And how many died because of it, directly or indirectly?
@@willstuart4504 Thank you, though I wish it wasn't true. John didn't have to die that way and at such a young age but he was abandoned time and time again. It was sad to watch. 😞
I wouldn't say no one, there were a few who tried along the way, myself included but he needed a lot more and no one in a position to really make a difference cared to try which is really tragic. He was a great guy and deserved better than what he got in the end.
No, there's plenty of gay players in the league, look at Montreal, their loaded with homosexuals, they just haven't come out of the closet yet. S. Richer was A transvestite💃
@@47tooter that's what having a cops knee on your neck will do to ya . Remember George Floyd. Lol, just cause you're on yay doesn't mean u automatically die .
Excellent quality, thanks for the documentary.
I met Kordic after a kings game in LA. I was 14 years old. He was a nice guy. I remember how thick his hands and face were.
Swollen headed Croatian......
So pathetic when the league denies a problem by turning a blind eye so they can claim there is no problem. The pain hockey players endure throughout a long season with little chance for recovery there is no doubt drug use is rampant. Every drug that is imaginable.
1:18. Gaetan Duchesne who unexpectedly passed away in Quebec City as well due to cardiac arrest. EVERYBODY loved him.
Gil stein was such a coward
He was more of a temporary commissioner sort of a fill in after Ziegler until Bettman was eventually hired.
RIP John, gone way too soon!
Like in regular society, there is less shame now and more help available…John didn’t have that opportunity…I remember an interview with his brother Dan who said he didn’t even really talk to him…guy was out of control but either was never offered help or refused it…sad story anytime a young person loses that battle
He became an instant favorite of mine in the '86 finals against the Flyers and the Flames.
He didn't take anything off either team's goons!
R.I.P. John
I think you must mean John's bother Dan Kordic, he played for the Flyers. John never played with the Fylers or the Flames. He played with the Montrael Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Washington Capitals and the Quebec Nordiques.
@@billijomaynard8924
Thanks, no I just worded it incorrectly.
I meant against the Flames in the '86 cup final, and in the '87 division finals against the Flyers.
I remember the Flames thought everyone was going back down after adding Fotiu, and the next post season, the Flyers had THREE kookaloos Brown, Hodspedar, and Berube
Kordic took them all on.
@@kidmack1121 your getting A little too excited there Beavis, I seem to recall "Two can Sam" T. Hunter beating Kordic.
@@jasonsabourin9547
No, Nancy Drew, if you are talking about the ONE bout in the '86 finals, the one that the game's commentator referred to as a "draw" NO, Hunter did not stop Kordic. The point was; that for the rest of the series, Kordic threw HIS weight around, verbally abused the Flames and physically challenged their goons to more fights, and they all backed down.
(And followed up in '87 against Phil.)
Check it out for yourself, I think all five games are uploaded.
Tim Hunter taught him a lesson in the '86 finals. Pay attention.
Even Don Cherry screamed about it.
3:34 Kordic looks scary...I believe he was killed by Quebec Police that night. Rest in Power
As do I. The story I was told by people in Quebec seven Provos couldnt handle hm, so they put him down the way Provos have done before. Kordic had his problems, but seven guys can't subdue him without his death? Lung problems, yeah. Collapsed lungs sure are a problem.
@@bbb462cid excellent point. Do you know if he was Métis? Ppl are saying he was or Croatian origin. I miss him.
@@Dulqusley that, I do not know
@@Dulqusley ancestry was Croatian..and yes the cops did play a part in his death..but he was running on borrowed time..
RIP John.
@@bbb462cid I don't think they deliberately killed him. The way he was positioned face down and with his legs restrained ( basically hog tied) is what killed him.
Nowadays ( at least at my agency), we are trained not to position people face down. We would also administer medication to sedate people in such a state.
some things never change. it used to be drugs, now its the exact same thing with concussions.
Getting a concussion is not illegal using illegal drugs of course it is but it is a mental illness and I don’t think anyone is willing to really look at it honestly
Hockey + Coke = True
There was help offered to him many times...he didn't want to listen! We all reach a point in our lives to grow up and accept responsibility but he knew better!
I had the privilege of meeting the legendary writer/broadcaster Dick Beddoes at an Argos game in 1990. I asked him about Kordic. Mr. Beddoes stated that he had several conversations with Kordic and was rooting for him to have a good training camp; they got along well. Well, the 1990 Leafs camp ended his stint in Toronto.
I saw him play a preseason game that year in Buffalo. No effort in the warmup and even less during the ice time that he received. It was over in TO. Don't think he dressed for another preseason game.
John Brophy pushed Gord Stellick to acquire him. The Leafs needed toughness. I don't think Broph, Gordie, or anyone in the organization knew of his issues at the time of the Kordic-Courtnall deal.
I agree, Wood, that there was help and encouragement from many in Toronto. Beddoes told me that several people tried to talk to him. The Leafs even brought in his Mom to stay with him for a while.
It was sad...Kordic had talent (he had a decent touch around the net) but he had too many demons. I hope that he has found peace.
RIP JOHN.
@@christopheroliver2465 Leafs never did there homework with him. Worst trade ever Courtnall for Kordic.
That's a bit harsh but easy to pass judgement. Did you know him personally? Do you know what help was really offered to him? Were you there for him during some of his darkest hours? If not then you don't really know what he was enduring and how hard he was fighting or what was really offered to him, you are listening to third or fourth hand BS.
It wasn't a question of needing to grow up. And we all forget, these guys are kids when they leave home and are drafted from small towns to big cities. All they know is hockey, that's all they knew from early on, then they are shipped off with no family, no support system and thrown more money than they've ever seen and are suddenly 'famous' with a lot of pressure and everyone wanting something. Those who are struggling, battling issues are left to their own devices at a very young age and there are always opportunists who are there to capitalize on the situation.
You make it sound like he wanted his life to spiral into hell. That he chose to let his career be destroyed and eventually to join the dreaded 27 club in a box in the ground. I can tell you with a great deal of certainty, he didn't. Hockey was his life, it's all he knew but he had serious issues that the league refused to truly address in a way that would really benefit him and not just keep up appearances and keep things under wraps.
I was there and I watched it first hand...help was not exactly what he got. More like threats. And don't be naive enough to believe anything they said at the time publicly. They lied.
Addiction is not simply bad or childish behaviour that is easily remedied with a stern talking to. You can tell an addict to stop taking drugs a thousand times and they understand that it's bad and they want to stop but it's not about logic or knowing right from wrong, he was sick and those few who were close, knew he was on a dangerous path to an early death, it was harrowing and devastating to witness and to truly try to help, yet feel helpless in the end. And he didn't want that life, he wanted to really play hockey...and not just be a goon, he HATED that and they forced him to be what he loathed. And that pushed him into taking steroids to be that big bad monster and that didn't help with his addiction issues. He actually had some talent and could play but they wanted a beast or nothing at all. They would even punish him publicly for doing exactly what they told him to do privately. It drove him nuts.
I watched him suffer and I watched try really hard. I was there during the most harrowing nightmares when I didn't know if he would make it through the night but couldn't call an ambulance because the press would have been all over it and his career would have ended and he made me promise, so I kept my promise. I saw things that I swore to him I would never share but it tore me apart, yet I stayed by his side. He didn't choose that, trust me! It was torture for him. And also when he worked really hard and got clean and things looked really promising. Seeing him playing really well, even scoring a few goals and hearing the crowd chanting his name and seeing that big, fat grin on his face made it all worth it. And we were hopeful that it would last.
I was there when he called saying he totalled his Corvette and tried to get there before the media were swarming but they got their front page shame shot anyway. I was there when his amazing mother sobbed in my arms, fearing she would lose her baby boy. I was there the infamous night when he missed his game and was terrified, hiding from the phone constantly ringing, begging me not to answer. He didn't do that because he thought it would be fun or because he didn't give a shit. He was not ok and was terrified of losing his career more so than losing his life. I was also there when he was under house arrest right after that in early '90. His Mom and I, the only two who were there for him, guarding the door, screening his calls because his dealers were very crafty. And trying to keep him clean, sober and sane when he felt like a caged animal. I was the only person his mother trusted to take him outside once a day for a short walk around the block and I had to make sure he didn't get into any trouble... which wasn't always easy but still he lit up when someone recognized him and asked for his autograph on the street, especially kids, he was so sweet to them.
I was just a clueless kid myself with no experience with anything like that but did whatever I could to help him when so many didn't. Most people are only there when you're on top, when things are easy and fun but they scatter when sh*t gets real. He was a good guy, he had a good heart and hockey meant the world to him but was battling serious issues that fans didn't know anything about and he really cared what his fans thought and hated to let them down.
I was one of the people in the fall/winter of '89-'90 who was trying desperately to help him survive and make sure the press didn't find out the truth. Heart breaking and at times terrifying doesn't come close to covering it but when you are a true friend and you really care, you show up and you don't turn your back when things get ugly. His performance on the ice was not my main concern, his health and his life were. He needed serious help but with zero tolerance in place, his addiction had to be brushed under the carpet along with his health and his life. He really needed to be in rehab for several months and maybe to take some time off at home with his family but that would have ended his career soo he tried hard to battle his issues and continue playing while they bounced him around from team to team, dumping him because he had issues. Being alone and isolated with those issues was disastrous. That's how he ended up moving in with my boyfriend at the time, he needed an actual home with people, stability, friends who cared, not living alone in a dingy hotel room. I don't recall any team members showing up, not one but he was surrounded by vile scum who were more than happy to drain his money and continue to supply him with the poison that was killing him. He thought those p.o.s were friends. It's easy to judge when you don't know the truth and you didn't know the person behind the persona. I didn't mean to write a novel...I'm still very protective of him after all I witnessed. I loved him like a brother and it breaks my heart that his biggest fear came true. I can't tell you how many times I had to convince him...for hours that the police were not out to get him and they weren't going to hurt him during the darker days and nights. But just as he predicted, they did kill him in the end, he was right. All those assholes had to do was patiently and calmly talk to him and not freak out and get angry. If one clueless 22 year old, 115 pound unarmed girl could talk him down from one of his episodes without violence, you would think 9 trained law enforcement could have talked him down without beating the shit out of him and killing him. I was privy to what really happened, what those bastards lied about to cover their asses. That's what breaks my heart the most, his last moments on Earth were horrifying and he died such a violent, heartless death. Sorry for rambling, this is not meant to be preachy but to let people know the truth.
@@Poetessa2I want to say again Beautiful Comment and Thanks again for all you did that is what a TRUE Friend does.
@@ryanwilliams8390 Thank you so much, I really appreciate that. I get rather hot under the collar when I see ignorant people trashing him. They didn't know what he really endured. I'm scrappy like he was! lol I'll never stop telling his story, to keep his memory alive and in hopes that it helps someone choose a different path.
Take good care my friend.
My hockey book features a chapter on this player:
www.amazon.ca/Triumph-Tragedy-NHL-Profiling-tragically/dp/1493709054
Clean image of the NHL, bullshit. They just never were as severe as the other 3 major sports.
I was told that Bruce mcdonald wrote a script re the story of kordic. Cbc and many others took a pass on producing it.
I guess nothing good would come from it. The league, teams cover-ups would of been exposed
To dark of a story
Rip jk
I knew a project was in the works but didn't know Bruce MacDonald had written the screenplay. Of course the league passed on it, they had a lot to hide. And CBC are cowards. His story should have been told, it would have exposed so much about the league and others that needs to be brought to light. And the cover up of his death.
Jean Perron “Pudding Head” that one was for you knuckles.
J. Perron wearing A Nordiques watch.
Maximum deterrent...no help fir addicts
That’s the dumbest comment I’ve read in six months
Now they let em use peds
Good God, did that NHL President just say what I thought he said..???
" before a player becomes a Three time Loser .... he needs to become a one time User."..
WTF....?? Talk about a complete joke. He sounds exactly like ...what every former player/coach/trainer is saying, a President who rather sweep any Drug issue under the carpet and pretend ( or more like LIE.) about the fact that it IS an issue and the league needed to step up and create policies for any player who does have an addiction.
That way they know help is OUT THERE. ...and situations like Kordic may have been prevented.
Thank you! Exactly! I knew John well when he played for the Leafs and the league truly failed him time and time again because admitting you have a drug problem was tantamount to ending your career ..'zero tolerance.' Their main concern was damage control in terms of PR. So how could anyone have come forward who needed help? They were on their own to fend for themselves with no support system in place which is a ticking time bomb. It was the giant elephant in the room that everyone saw but pretended not to, hoping it would go away, quietly on its own. And how many died because of it, directly or indirectly?
@@Poetessa2 Exactly, well said. 👏👏👏👏
@@willstuart4504 Thank you, though I wish it wasn't true. John didn't have to die that way and at such a young age but he was abandoned time and time again. It was sad to watch. 😞
Jean Perron Mtl head coach 1986
Very true.
Was my coach in University...Jean KEEP your stick on da hice lol
Good kid nobody helped him
I wouldn't say no one, there were a few who tried along the way, myself included but he needed a lot more and no one in a position to really make a difference cared to try which is really tragic. He was a great guy and deserved better than what he got in the end.
No gay hockey players either -haha...The NHL is out to lunch...Junkies on ice!
No, there's plenty of gay players in the league, look at Montreal, their loaded with homosexuals, they just haven't come out of the closet yet. S. Richer was A transvestite💃
Most of Jean's team in 86-87 was on blow .
Right , and they didn't die of affixation.
@@47tooter that's what having a cops knee on your neck will do to ya . Remember George Floyd. Lol, just cause you're on yay doesn't mean u automatically die .
It's funny NHL still have a coke problem today.
Has nothing to do with pigs using excessive force and killing him.