The Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis spoke to Calgary Flames forward Olli Jokinen about a battle which Jokinen had previously preferred to keep to himself:
“I’ve been sober six years now,” a candid Jokinen told the Calgary Sun, sharing his alcohol issues publicly for the first time. “I don’t want to be one of those guys who sits in the bar after I’m done playing and says, ‘What if?’ I don’t like to use the word ‘if.’ Whatever the length of your career is going to be, you want to make the most out of it. You want to be in a position to look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, ‘I did everything I possibly could to be the best I could.’ ”
And that meant changing his lifestyle in many ways, starting with eliminating alcohol from his diet — not something many athletes openly discuss during their careers.
“I think quitting drinking was more about feeling good about myself,” the 3...
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