Dustin Byfuglien arrested for drinking and boating
A. Isaac Dustin Byfuglien’s arrest for drunken boating couldn’t have come at a worse time. While the NHL scrambles to handle the PR nightmare of three tragic deaths in the last few months, including the apparent suicide of Wade Belak this week, Byfuglien allegedly got wasted at Lake Minnetonka and took his boat out Wednesday night.
Byfuglien, 26, was arrested at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday on Lower Lake South in Excelsior and refused to submit to a blood or urine test for alcohol consumption, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
According to jail records, he was brought into the jail at about 11:10 p.m. and released a little more than three hours later pending formal charges. The sheriff’s office declined to say any more about Byfuglien’s arrest.
A single death in the offseason could have simply been chalked up as an anomaly. A player who partied too hard, drank too much, and lived everyday like it was his last. But three deaths within the span of four months, and Byfuglien’s arrest, is cause for serious concern. Perhaps the NHL should ramp up their substance abuse programs or educate their players about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Because as it stands right now, the culture within hockey is too accepting of this type of behavior. And unless something is done, and done soon, sadly, this won’t be the last we’ll hear of players’ off-ice problems.
Dustin Byfuglien accused of drunken boating, weight gain [Puck Daddy]
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