Charges Filed Against Pro Hockey Star After BWI Stop on Lake Minnetonka

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office filed charges today against a professional hockey player following his arrest late last month on suspicion of boating while intoxicated.

Dustin Byfuglien, a standout defenseman for the Winnipeg, was stopped on Excelsior Bay at about 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 31 by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol after his boat was spotted without proper navigational lighting. Three unidentified passengers were on Byfuglien's boat at the time of the stop.

Byfuglien, 26, presented a Georgia drivers license and gave an address in Spring Park, believed to be that of a relative's, as his current place of residence.

Court documents allege Byfuglien's speech was slurred during the ensuing conversation with the water patrol and that his eyes were blood shot and his balance unsteady.

After allegedly failing a battery of field sobriety tests, Byfuglien consented to a breathalyzer test on the water. While his .03 blood alcohol level was well below the state's .08 legal threshold for operating a watercraft or motor vehicle, the arresting officer felt he had probable cause to take Byfuglien into custody.

Byfuglien was transported to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol Headquarters in Spring Park, where he allegedly admitted to taking a muscle relaxer earlier in the day. Byfuglien allegedly told deputies he takes 16 or 17 different supplements and couldn't remember the name of the relaxant.

Byfuglien refused to submit a blood and/or urine specimen for testing and was transported to the Hennepin County Jail. He was released early the next morning.

Byfuglien faces four separate charges in connection to the Aug. 31 incident. In addition to one gross-misdemeanor count of boating while intoxicated—refusal to submit blood, breath or urine, prosecutors have also charged him with operating a watercraft while under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol. Byfuglien has also been charged with operating a watercraft without proper navigational lighting and with not having a sufficient number of personal floatation devices onboard for each passenger.

Byfuglien has been summoned to appear in Hennepin County Court to answer the charges, although no exact date has yet been specified. Byfglien could face a year in jail if convicted and given the maximum sentence for the crimes he's accused of.

Byfuglien was selected in the 8th round of the NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2003. He played 260 games for Chicago over five years, scoring 55 goals and tallying 60 assists. He was a member of the 2010 Stanley Cup championship team and traded to the Atlanta Thrashers the following summer. Byfuglien signed a multi-year extension with Atlanta back in February worth $26 million over five years.

The Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg following the 2010-11 season and changed their name to the Jets. Canada has strict laws governing admittance to the country for those convicted of alcohol-related offenses, although Byfuglien has told several Canadian newspapers that he has had no trouble crossing the border to attend pre-season workouts.

The Jets open their season tonight on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Byfuglien was in the starting lineup as of this posting.

Byfuglien is a native of Minnesota and began playing hockey in Roseau. After becoming academically ineligible, Byfuglien moved to a suburb of Chicago to play 18U hockey. He went on to play junior hockey in Canada before being drafted in 2003.