A Former NHLer Was Suspended Indefinitely After Showing Up To His Swiss League Game Without Skates

BarDown- Although Marc-Antoine Pouliot's last NHL season was the 2011-12 season when he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes, he's made a nice little career for himself in Switzerland since.

Unfortunately for the Quebec native, after three productive seasons with the Dragons, he'll have to find a new team as he was suspended indefinitely weeks into the season for forgetting to bring his skates for an away game.

The indefinite suspension was given in order for the team and Pouliot to work on terminating his contract, but one thing is for sure, he won't be playing for Fribourg-Gotteron HC anymore.

Pouliot forgot his skates in Fribourg for Saturday's game in Zug, thus forcing head coach and Canadian, Larry Huras, to change his lines and such at the last minute.



There's only one thing less professional than a hockey player showing up to the rink without his most important piece of equipment, and it's a PROFESSIONAL hockey player being held responsible for the arrival of his own equipment. As far as I am concerned this story isn't a bad look for Marc-Antoine Pouliot, it's a bad look for the franchise that just suspended him indefinitely because THEY ultimately failed to provide the most simple of services. Pretty sure the Swiss League just tried to make themselves look more legit by harshly disciplining a player for being unprepared, but they made themselves look like a glorified beer league in the process. Hey Switzerland, get your shit together. Guys are getting paid to play and they are still lugging their own crap to the arena? Rummaging through their smelly ass shit counting shinguards before boarding the bus? Not exactly the best incentive for fringe NHLers to bring their talents overseas. "Come play for Fribourg-Gotteron HC, you can start taking inventory of your own equipment prior to leaving for the rink like you're a Bantam again!". 

And don't get me wrong, it's pretty obvious that forgetting his footwear isn't the only reason that Marc-Antoine Pouliot is getting his contract terminated. I'm sure there are plenty of other factors that played into him getting axed, but if that's the case then you can't let the news that misplaced Bauer's are responsible for his absence from the lineup get leaked. No one outside of Switzerland cares enough about hockey in Switzerland to look in to the dynamics of a contentious relationship between an unknown player and an unknown team. They are just going to read that ridiculous headline and assume that the Nationalliga A is a goddamn clown show. Considering the fact that a "professional" organization doesn't have an equipment manager on staff or an extra pair of wheels lying around, they undoubtedly have every right to do so.

At least he seems to be taking it in stride. Probably just hopeful that he can catch on with a team that treats it's players like actual employees...

Thanks for these last 3 memorables years @FrGotteron .Had an awesome time with you! Now its time to move on.I'm excited for a new beginning!

— marc antoine pouliot (@poully78) October 3, 2016

And thanks for all the kind messages!!

— marc antoine pouliot (@poully78) October 3, 2016

P.S. Nothing worse than that couple seconds of panic before realizing that the skate, glove, or helmet you can't find somehow snuck it's way underneath your bag. ​