Who is Sean Hill? Meet the first NHL player to get suspended for using PEDs

Sean Ronald Hill is a prominent former NHL defenseman. He was born on February 14, 1970, in Duluth, Minnesota. Eighteen years later, in 1988, Hill was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.

In 1993, he and his team, the Montreal Canadiens, won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-1.

The defenseman would go on to spend 17 straight seasons in the NHL. During his career, he suited up for eight different teams. A few of the biggest teams he has played for were the Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, and even the Carolina Hurricanes.

On April 20, 2007, Hill was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). He was the first NHL player to face consequences for violating the PEDs policy that the NHL and NHLPA had put in place.

In the fifth game of the Islanders' Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Buffalo Sabres, Hill started his 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's law. As a result, the Islanders lost the match and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Sean Hill's return to the ice

Right after the drastic downfall of the Islanders along with Hill’s suspension for PEDs, Garth Snow, the team's general manager, said that NHL had made the right decision by suspending Hill.

As a result of his suspension, Hill was held back from playing 20 consecutive matches for the Minnesota Wild in the 2007-08 NHL season without any salary.

Later that year, the former defenseman successfully passed a lie detector test and an independent drug abuse test. During this time, he was still a member of the Wilds. His former teammates and managers supported him wholeheartedly and looked forward to his remarkable comeback. The team released as statement that read:

"We believe Sean did not knowingly take any banned performance-enhancing substance."

On November 21, 2007, Sean Hill returned to the ice after completing his 20-game suspension for PEDs. He officially retired in 2009.