Convicted criminals in NHL history

Rebels57

Former Flyers fan
Sponsor
Sep 28, 2014
76,373
122,660
To be honest, the problem isn't hard sentences for Fraud, but lax sentences for Brock Allen Turner.

10 years is insane for a crime like fraud, but yes..you're right..the lax sentences is the bigger issue.
 

DuncanMacpherson

Registered User
Apr 6, 2010
7,489
3,824
Damn, never realized that many NHLers had a few too many and got behind the wheel. Also, never heard about that Doug Gilmour story, kind of creepy and weird and hope to hell that it's not true. Harold Ballard is also the worst human to ever exist in this city. What an awful person.

That doesn't even include all the hockey players who died drinking and driving such as the great Tim Horton. Back in the day drinking and driving was socially acceptable and the laws were very lenient. It wasn't until MADD was formed in 1980 that things started to change.
 

Hawksfan2828

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
13,437
15
Libertyville, IL
Yeah, very tragic story. His father Roy was shot & killed by the RCMP in Prince George outside of the CBC's building after driving in over 160+km's from the interior of BC, busting into the place & demanding they take the Canucks/Seals game off the air & put on the Leafs game, his sons first NHL game on a call-up, which the CBC did actually do for him.... Brian was Charged with Kidnapping & Murder in 1987 & faced the Death Penalty however he was acquitted but was then killed in a drug-deal / robbery that went bad. Real bad.... Brilliant book by Martin O'Malley called Gross Misconduct; The Life & Times of Spinner Spencer (and a movie made in 93) that lays bare the entire story. Highly recommend the book. Gripping to say the least.

Yea, they made a movie about it. I forget the name but I have seen it. Indeed a tragic story.

Steve Durbano is another guy with a tragic story...
 

Jumptheshark

Rebooting myself
Oct 12, 2003
99,857
13,840
Somewhere on Uranus
This seems like an insufficient list of convicted NHLers of crimes in courts of law (but it's the best I could find).

Who other than these are NHLers were convicted criminals?

  • Slava Voynov Los Angeles Kings domestic assault 90 days in jail; three years probation
    Accepted a plea bargain on a misdemeanor account of corporal injury to a spouse
  • Dany Heatley Atlanta Thrashers vehicular homicide 3 years probation
    Also ordered to give 150 speeches on the dangers of speeding, and pay $25,000 to Fulton County for the cost of investigating the crash.
  • Nikolai Khabibulin Edmonton Oilers drunk driving 30 days
    Serves first 15 days of sentence with work release, last 15 days under house arrest
  • Mike Danton
    St. Louis Blues conspiracy to commit murder 7½ years [247] Released after serving five years
  • Bob Probert Detroit Red Wings drug possession 90 days
  • Craig MacTavish Boston Bruins vehicular homicide 1 year

There must be other players, not to mention coaches, managers and owners. THIS is an intriguing/interesting question~!

Do DUI's count?
 

alko

Registered User
Oct 20, 2004
9,348
3,064
Slovakia
www.slovakhockey.sk
I think, this could be updated. 2 Years since last post and there were for sure some new legal issues from players.

Richard Panik.
In April 2018, Pánik was arrested after refusing to leave the entrance of Bevvy, near Scottsdale, Arizona. He was later released with criminal citation.[25]
 

Kim Davis

Registered User
Dec 28, 2018
6
1
Posted by Robert Gordon Orr:

"1994 – Bob Probert (Threatened to kill the arresting officers and threatened the hospital workers after a motorcycle crash that relvealed cocaine and alcohol in his blood)"

For the life of me, I'll never understand why some people still idolize that guy.

Anyway, that was a great list of hockey delinquents compiled by Robert Gordon Orr. Excellent job. Thanks. This also got me thinking of how Susan Sarandon used to say that hockey players were better role models than athletes in other sports. Maybe I should send that list to Susan.

I'm not sure if Bill Goldthorpe has been mentioned. I remember reading about how they used to release him from jail just so that he could play in games. After the game, they would drive him back to the slammer again. Don't know what he was doing time for. But being that it was Goldthorpe, it was most likely something of a violent nature.

A WHA thug named Bruce Greig was arrested during a game on Nov 17, 1978, when eight Edmonton police officers entered the Indianapolis players bench and apprehended him. Greig had an outstanding warrant that had been issued when he was a member of the Calgary Cowboys during the 1976-77 season.
During a Calgary-Edmonton game on 13 February 1977, Greig and teammate Peter Driscoll had scuffled with an Oiler fan while sitting in the penalty box serving penalties. Greig apparently threw a punch at the fan, who then pressed charges for assault.
 
Last edited:

wetcoast

Registered User
Nov 20, 2018
22,246
10,125
Wow, now that's what I call a list.

Yes it was alot longer than I thought it might be.

Didn't know about Glenn Anderson and while I didn't like him as a player before, he sounds like an even worse human being. Hopefully for his sake, he has changed his ways.
 

wetcoast

Registered User
Nov 20, 2018
22,246
10,125
Posted by Robert Gordon Orr:

"1994 – Bob Probert (Threatened to kill the arresting officers and threatened the hospital workers after a motorcycle crash that relvealed cocaine and alcohol in his blood)"

For the life of me, I'll never understand why some people still idolize that guy.

Anyway, that was a great list of hockey delinquents compiled by Robert Gordon Orr. Excellent job. Thanks. This also got me thinking of how Susan Sarandon used to say that hockey players were better role models than athletes in other sports. Maybe I should send that list to Susan.

I'm not sure if Bill Goldthorpe has been mentioned. I remember reading about how they used to release him from jail just so that he could play in games. After the game, they would drive him back to the slammer again. Don't know what he was doing time for. But being that it was Goldthorpe, it was most likely something of a violent nature.

A WHA thug named Bruce Greig was arrested during a game on Nov 17, 1978, when eight Edmonton police officers entered the Indianapolis players bench and apprehended him. Greig had an outstanding warrant that had been issued when he was a member of the Calgary Cowboys during the 1976-77 season.
During a Calgary-Edmonton game on 13 February 1977, Greig and teammate Peter Driscoll had scuffled with an Oiler fan while sitting in the penalty box serving penalties. Greig apparently threw a punch at the fan, who then pressed charges for assault.

Between this list and the other one with deceased first round picks Robert Gordon Orr either has a huge database or a lot of time on his hands, maybe both.
 

David Bruce Banner

Nude Cabdriver Ban
Mar 25, 2008
7,946
3,217
Streets Ahead
In 1972, Don Saleski, Bill Flett, Bob Taylor, Barry Ashbee, Joe Watson, Ross Lonsberry and Ed Van Impe
were all charged with creating a disturbance for going into the stands in Vancouver to attack fans. All except Lonsberry ended up being fined $500... and Bob Taylor (additionally, I'm assuming) was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but had the sentence suspended upon appeal.
 

blood gin

Registered User
Jan 17, 2017
4,174
2,203
The Cizikas thing is ridiculous. Basically tackles a guy during a rugby game who dies in a fluke accident because he suffered a major concussion a few weeks prior. Total fluke occurrence
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
It's still bothersome that Bertuzzi didn't serve prison time for his assault on Moore
 

Merya

Jokerit & Finland; anti-theist
Sep 23, 2008
2,279
418
Helsinki
Jori Lehterä is being charged with cocaine related crimes. Prosecutor demands only 4months tho, so it might be minor. (In USA tho even possession would get years?) They will hear him in court, present or not, next tuesday.
 

Fantomas

Registered User
Aug 7, 2012
13,243
6,558
1988 – Doug Gilmour (A grand jury decided not to indict Gilmour on charges related to alleged sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl. Part of the evidence was a diary in which the girl described a string of sexual encounters with Gilmour.A $1-million civil suit was filed against him and his wife, by the parents of the girl (Gilmour’s baby-sitter).

I somehow missed this. Amazing that Gilmour wound up everyone's hero, especially in Toronto, and pretty much no one brought this up.

This incident is also subtly glossed over in Gilmour's wikipedia page, to the extent that you'll miss it unless you're really looking: Doug Gilmour - Wikipedia

I have also noticed that most mentions of the incident refer to it as Gilmour "having sex" with a teenager or "sexual relations", as opposed to what we should call it now: rape of a child.
 
Last edited:

blood gin

Registered User
Jan 17, 2017
4,174
2,203
I somehow missed this. Amazing that Gilmour wound up everyone's hero, especially in Toronto, and pretty much no one brought this up.

This incident is also subtly glossed over in Gilmour's wikipedia page, to the extent that you'll miss it unless you're really looking: Doug Gilmour - Wikipedia

I have also noticed that most mentions of the incident refer to it as Gilmour "having sex" with a teenager or "sexual relations", as opposed to what we should call it now: rape of a child.

Reprehensible if true. However how do we know this wasn't just another attempt to extort money from a wealthy individual? Wouldn't be the first time. What's Gilmours side of it?
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->