Wild sign D Hill despite steroid suspension, By: Jon Krawczynski

July 8, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS — Just when Sean Hill thought a steroid scandal might mark the end of his NHL career, the Minnesota Wild called to tell him to come on home.

"For the Wild to come out and tell me they wanted me, I can't tell you the feelings I had," Hill said in a telephone interview Friday, hours after finalizing a one-year deal with the Wild worth $475,000. "I've played a lot of years in this league, and that wasn't the way I wanted to go out."

The 37-year-old defenseman played for the New York Islanders last season and was suspended hours before they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Buffalo on April 20. He became the first NHL player to be suspended for violating the league's drug policy. He received a 20-game suspension and will miss the first 19 games of this season.

The Wild said Hill acknowledged using a doctor-prescribed testosterone booster approved by the NHL, but tested positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone, which is banned.

"We have talked to Sean at length, and he denies knowingly taking any banned performance-enhancing substance," the Wild said in a statement. "We also researched the situation and the substance Sean tested positive for and found that boldenone can be ingested inadvertently through health supplements and foods. We cannot determine the source of Sean's test failure. However, we believe Sean did not knowingly take any banned performance-enhancing substance."