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Trial Date Set for NHL Star Byfuglien's Boating While Intoxicated Case

Dustin Byfuglien was arrested last summer after being stopped by a water patrol unit on Lake Minnetonka.

Attorneys representing an NHL star charged with boating while intoxicated on Lake Minnetonka last summer were unable to reach a plea deal with Hennepin County prosecutors this week—setting the stage for a jury trial scheduled to begin July 23.

Dustin Byfuglien, 27, was arrested last August after a water patrol unit stopped his boat on Excelsior Bay. Byfuglien's lawyer told the Winnipeg Free Press that he and prosecutors were "very far apart" on a deal and a trial appeared likely. 

Byfuglien, a native of Minnesota, currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets and just completed the first year of a five-year contract worth north of $25 million.

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Being convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol may complicate Byfuglien's ability to enter Canada—a country that has been known to restrict the entrance of those with DWI or, in this case, a BWI convictions.

The charges:

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A boat piloted by Byfuglien was stopped around 8:15 p.m. on the evening of Aug. 31 for improper navigational lighting. Officers allege Byfuglien's speech was slurred during an 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 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, 26, presented a Georgia drivers license and gave an address in Spring Park, believed to be that of a relative, as his current place of residence.

He was arrested and transported to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol Headquarters in Spring Park, where court documents say he admitted to taking a muscle relaxer earlier in the day.

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.

Notes:

  • Byfuglien currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets. He was a member of the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Black Hawks and was later traded to the Atlanta Thrashers—a franchise that relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. 
  • 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.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks selected Byfuglien in the 8th round of the NHL draft. He played 260 games for Chicago over five years, scoring 55 goals and tallying 60 assists. Byfuglien signed a multi-year extension with Winnipeg in February of 2011 worth $26 million over five years. 


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