TSN.Canada 1-27-10
It appears as though the troubled life of ex-NHL and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk has taken another sad twist as the Gardener, Nevada Record-Courier is reporting that he has been charged with driving under the influence.
According to the report, Malarchuk's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit in Nevada.
Malarchuk was reportedly stopped at 10pm local time Saturday when a patrol officer observed his pickup truck driving erratically. When pulled over, Malarchuk told the officer that he had not been drinking; however he failed a field sobriety test with a .233 breath-alcohol content. The legal limit for driving in Nevada is .08. An open bottle of beer was also reportedly found in the back seat of the truck.
Malarchuk was cited for driving under the influence as well as failure to maintain his lane and open container.
The incident is the latest in a string of sad events for Malarchuk.
Despite a career that stretched over more than a decade, Malarchuk remains best known for suffering a horrific injury in 1989 when his jugular vein was accidentally slashed by the skate of the St. Louis' Blues Steve Tuttle. He was able to return to the ice just over a week later despite receiving nearly 300 stitches, however his play was obviously affected by the incident.
He retired from professional hockey in 1996, becoming a coach for the Las Vegas Thunder of the IHL and eventually the goaltending coach for first the Florida Panthers, then the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In October 2007, Malarchuk was charged with disorderly conduct after an altercation with Douglas County deputies at a Gardnerville bar. The charge was later dismissed after he paid a $250 restitution.
Then in October of 2008, Malarchuk was taken to a Reno hospital after shooting himself in the chin with a .22-calire rifle. An investigation into the shooting by Douglas County sheriff's department said the shooting was "accidental under suspicious circumstances."
I hope he gets help, and gets well. I always liked Clint. I never bought the shot to the chin as an accident, and he is Bi-polar
