True Crime and Hockey

[The Panther]

Surprisingly, no one has mentioned Keven Stevens (I did a search and couldn't find it anyway).

While with Pittsburgh, Stevens was the 10th-best scorer in the NHL from 1990-91 through 1993-94, was a 1st/2nd team All Star three seasons in a row, scored 61 (!) playoff points in back-to-back seasons, and won two Stanley Cups.

In 2000, while with the Rangers, Stevens was arrested while with a prostitute in St. Louis and charged with possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

Then, in 2016, Stevens was charged with -- and eventually pleaded guilty to -- conspiring to sell oxycodone (painkiller).

 

[The Panther]

Just out of my curiosity, how do we feel NHL hockey players compare to MLB, NFL, and NBA players in terms of criminal prosecutions? I have no idea, so I'm curious if anyone has any stats or information.

It's generally said that the fans of pro-hockey are a more well-educated, middle-class type of audience compared to other professional sports' fans, but I don't know that that would reflect on the players themselves (traditionally, hockey players were poor, working-class scrubs from farms and small-towns... of course, that has changed today).

Most (?) NBA players go through college before entering the pros, which presumably is good for their transition into being million-dollar young men. Few hockey players do this.

And MLB players are usually older -- 20, 21 at least -- before entering the majors.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Criminal charges against 20-year Barrie police officer dropped

Barrie Police Sgt. Bruce Gardiner has been exonerated.

barrie.ctvnews.ca

Gardiner became a cop after hockey. He was charged with criminal harassment and extortion a few years ago but the charges were dropped earlier this summer.

whole situation sounds shady. I know the article says “exonerated” but that’s not what happened. Charges were dropped before the trial, which can happen for a number of reasons. That’s different from being acquitted, which is in turn different from being exonerated. Shoddy journalism.

 

[The Panther]

Doug Gilmour.

Popular movie in the early-90s:

"Don't Tell Doug The Babysitter's 13"

(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

Duncan Macpherson.

Junior player who played with the Saskatoon Blades and was drafted 20th overall by the Islanders. Was junior teammates with Joey Kocur, Wendel Clark, Kevin Korchinski’s late father Larry, Todd McLellan, Trent Yawney, and Lane Lambert.

In 1989, he went on a ski trip to the Alps in Austria, was never seen or heard from again.

In 2003, 14 years later, his body thawed from the snow and ice on very popular sking path, with his snowboard broken in half, his wallet, and rental car keys beside him. The body was cut into pieces and still perfectly preserved. An autopsy said he fell and died on that spot and his body just happened to break from years being underneath. Family didn’t believe this, had a 2nd autopsy done from a private contractor, and they found his body was cut up from heavy “rotating” machinery.

The night he disappeared, a man who worked at the resort as a snowcat driver was working that night pile pushing the snow (pushing snow then flattening it) and it is theorized he ran over Macpherson who was injured in the snow, reversed back when he felt something underneath, then continued forward up which caused his body to shred, while Macpherson was still alive. The driver then left the scene and left Maxpherson to die.

There so much more to this case. It’s really interesting.

Duncan MacPherson's Death: Forensics | Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery

Glacier Ice Flow or Contact with Machinery? Speaking about the condition of Duncan MacPherson's body for a 2006 Canadian television documentary, Dr. Wal...

www.coldalongtime.com

Watched this the other day
Quite interesting

Wish people would stop debating the Heatley thing, hard to filter out all the crimes I didn’t know about

 

[njdevils1982]

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/former-nhl-player-reid-boucher-sentenced-in-sex-assault-case-involving-12-year-old-024946908.html

Boucher who was 17 at the time molested a 12 year old girl of the family who was billeting him. Just absolute nasty stuff. And alleged 2 more victims aged 15/17 accusing him of soliciting nudes when he was 21.

Just nasty guy. Sarnia removed all of his accolades (he was a profilic junior scorer).

Edit: doesn’t specify when he was charged, just his guilty plea and sentencing

such a garbage puke.

and then goes on to lead the K in goals?!

Elite Prospects - KHL Stats 2023-2024

2023-2024 regular season player stats for KHL, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more.

www.eliteprospects.com

 

[njdevils1982]

Criminal charges against 20-year Barrie police officer dropped

Barrie Police Sgt. Bruce Gardiner has been exonerated.

barrie.ctvnews.ca

Gardiner became a cop after hockey. He was charged with criminal harassment and extortion a few years ago but the charges were dropped earlier this summer.

wow, thats a wild story, great post


///


pat burns was a cop before his NHL life that ended at 58.

shame to HOF voters for not allowing his family and himself to enjoy his induction before his death.

a true crime on respect among other things

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

By the time he got tested it was below the limit, I don't know if I believe anyone truly thinks alcohol had no bearing on the actual accident. At the very least, he was driving recklessly. There's nothing libelous at all in anything I've said. He had alcohol in his system (to the point of intoxication in my opinion) and he recklessly caused an accident which killed his teammate.

Not sure if you know this, but In My Opinion does not matter in court cases. It is about things called facts.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Not NHL related, but one of the more fascinating documentaries I’ve watched is about the Danbury Trashers (UHL) team in Danbury, Connecticut. I think it’s on Netflix.

The owner, James Gallante, was a garbage disposal mogul and allegedly connected to organized crime. He appointed his 17(!) year old son as GM to run the team. They built a team of brawlers and set a league record for penalty minutes, actually doing quite well in their two seasons. Mike Rupp and Brent Gretzky were recruited to play on the team.

However, Gallante was charged with racketeering after their second season and the team folded.

Amazing show for any hockey fans. During a lockout Mike Rupp supposedly got paid with a duffle bag full of cash! Saw an interview where Rupp said he got more questions about playing in Danbury than winning the Cup.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Most (?) NBA players go through college before entering the pros, which presumably is good for their transition into being million-dollar young men. Few hockey players do this.

For most NBA players attending college is primarily about balling and not acedemics. Normal rules typically don't apply to this level of player which establish a dangerous precedent for life.

 

[Albatros]

Krzysztof Oliwa, accused of fraud, has been a fugitive since 2019:

OLIWA KRZYSZTOF

OLIWA KRZYSZTOF - Poszukiwani -

poszukiwani.policja.gov.pl

 

[Paper]

Lehner has a very minor "guest star" in the Ben Renick murder as the NHL star trying to buy his snakes.

 

[Paper]

Do you think that you or I would have gotten 3 years probation for committing vehicular homicide?

Honestly, very real possibility that it wouldn't be far off.

Working in his favour was that it was a one vehicle crash, the person killed being a willing participant in the speeding, he was also below the legal limit, and obviously the victim's family supporting him.

Very quickly looking over vehicular homicide with underlying or other crimes involved in Georgia, receiving probation in plea agreements or even sentencing isn't rare. Again, very quickly so hopefully most of these aren't from the country of Georgia or have other mistakes but:

Spoiler

Man sentenced in vehicular homicide case

In the early morning hours of Nov. 3, 2017, a celebration turned into a nightmare for Ardion Richard. That was the day he killed his best friend. \n Around 1:10 a.m. at Sibley and North Leg roads, Ric…

www.augustachronicle.com

Jason Alexander, a 22-year-old fellow sailor, was killed. Two hours later, Richard’s blood alcohol level was .128, well above the .08 level legally considered unsafe to drive
...
Craig sentenced Richard to three years probation under the First Offender Act.

https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/motorist-who-killed-athens-bicyclist-sentenced-to-probation

A man who struck and killed an Athens bicyclist with his car this week pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular homicide and was sentenced to two years on probation.
...
Athens-Clarke County police initially charged the driver with first-degree homicide by vehicle, DUI, and failure to provide clearance while passing a bicycle.

Husband Pleads Guilty To Vehicular Homicide in Wife's Death

Ryan Patrick Quinton, the husband of Kali Shay Quinton, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday in Cherokee County Superior Court.

patch.com

Jasper resident Ryan Patrick Quinton on Tuesday entered a guilty plea to one count of vehicular homicide based on reckless driving and to a separate accusation stemming from a subsequent arrest for driving under the influence in Pickens County, the office of Grisham & Poole, PC said in a press release.
...
Cannon subsequently sentenced Quinton to 15 years probation on the vehicular homicide charge.

No Jail Time For Georgia Teen Who Killed Two Women & A Baby In Traffic Accident

A Georgia teen was sentenced to 36 months of probation and other conditions after pleading guilty for killing two women and a baby in a traffic accident.

www.refinery29.com

A Georgia teen was sentenced Monday to 36 months of probation and other conditions after pleading guilty for killing two women and a baby in a traffic accident in Woodstock, GA nearly two years ago.
..
The charges included second-degree vehicular homicide and distracted driving. Authorities said she was not speeding nor driving under the influence when the accident happened.

https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/motorist-who-killed-athens-bicyclist-sentenced-to-probation

Cherry eventually pleaded guilty to speeding and vehicular homicide. She was sentenced to 24 months probation, 240 hours of community service and a $2,500 fine.

Judge hands down sentence in 2019 fatal hit and run accident – Douglas Now

douglasnow.com

Wednesday afternoon, Dustin Jordan, who pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in June of this year in relation to a 2019 fatal hit and run accident with a pedestrian, learned of his fate. He was sentenced in Superior Court and received five years’ probation.

Teen driver convicted of vehicular homicide asking for modified probation

The parents of a bride-to-be, who was killed in a car accident, doesn't want the convicted driver to be allowed to study abroad for college. An attorney for the teenager has asked a judge to allow the University of North Georgia student to travel to China this fall.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Coweta Court records show Jackson Ridgeway pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, along with three other charges.

Ridgeway got boot camp, but no prison time as long as he behaves himself for the next five years on probation. He also got a $1,000 fine and 300 hours of community service.

Judge hands down sentence in 2019 fatal hit and run accident – Douglas Now

douglasnow.com

An ambulance driver accused of killing two people earlier this year is now a free man. This comes after a judge dismissed charges of vehicular homicide against the 19-year-old.

John Walker walked into court facing two vehicular homicide charges and just a day later, he walked out with a $1,000 fine and 12 months of probation.

(Note: Despite killing a person in an accident of his fault, the judge dismissing the actual charge)

EDIT: Spoilered for readability and after reading thread and seeing already a bunch of Heatley stuff.

 

[Paper]

Mario Lemieux - look up the Dan Quinn incident. He was complicit.

Since they were NHL players they were never charged.

And complicit is the right word if the witness' statement is true. He didn't just passively allow it to happen, but allegedly interfered to make sure it did.

Lemieux reportedly in hotel room during alleged rape - UPI Archives

Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux was in a hotel room when Minnesota North Stars player Dan Quinn allegedly raped a 19-year-old woman, it was reported...

www.upi.com

Quinn, a former Penguin who is still friends with members of the team, allegedly assaulted the woman on a hideaway bed while Lemieux was in another bed with the woman's friend in the same room, an attorney representing the woman who was with Lemieux told the newspaper.

Attorney Tom Bauer said the woman with Lemieux told him that she tried to stop the assault but that Lemieux held her back and told her, 'You're staying here, just leave them alone.'

 

[Nogatco Rd]

From a comprehensive list by @Robert Gordon Orr in the old thread “Convicted criminals in NHL history”:


2011 – Shane Churla (arrested after a fit of road rage due to a man not letting him pass on the shoulder. Churla pulled up beside the man and threw coffee at his vehicle. Both men then pulled over to the side of the road. Churla got out of his car and proceeded to kick and punch the man’s BMW bare-knuckled while cursing profusely. Churla dented the man’s door and caved in his sunroof, which amounted to $3,800 in damages)

1932 – Dave Trottier (charged with assault. Trottier tried to pass a truck at a narrow section of the road. As Trottier passed the truck he signalled to the driver of the truck to stop, and then opened the door to the truck took hold of the victims leg, and twisted it until it broke in three places)

 

[Silky Johnson]

I call the bullshit. The family can emotionally forgive him all they want, but their feelings shouldn't factor into justice at all. He recklessly murdered a teammate and got a tap on the wrist (not even a slap). A second chance is maybe like, him getting a normal job and getting to live amongst the public. Not him making 50 mil playing professional hockey.

Do you think that you or I would have gotten 3 years probation for committing vehicular homicide?

Probably. He was not over the legal limit so when you say alcohol was involved it was only tangentially.

He & his friend were young kids doing something dumb. Driving fast in a super car.

Had he killed someone else or was drunk, he would have gone to jail. Dan Snyder was the victim but was likely a willing participant in something stupid.

Victim impact statements cut with ways, not a fan of them but they are part of the justice system in Atlanta.

Vehicular homicide charges has a lot of leeway in sentencing. If the court find that the offender just did something stupid, but has remorse, learned their lesson and is not a danger to society, then no jail time is probable.

By the time he got tested it was below the limit, I don't know if I believe anyone truly thinks alcohol had no bearing on the actual accident. At the very least, he was driving recklessly. There's nothing libelous at all in anything I've said. He had alcohol in his system (to the point of intoxication in my opinion) and he recklessly caused an accident which killed his teammate.

You shouldn't have an opinion on something you have no additional or direct knowledge on.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Honestly, very real possibility that it wouldn't be far off.

Working in his favour was that it was a one vehicle crash, the person killed being a willing participant in the speeding, he was also below the legal limit, and obviously the victim's family supporting him.

Very quickly looking over vehicular homicide with underlying or other crimes involved in Georgia, receiving probation in plea agreements or even sentencing isn't rare. Again, very quickly so hopefully most of these aren't from the country of Georgia or have other mistakes but:

Spoiler

Man sentenced in vehicular homicide case

In the early morning hours of Nov. 3, 2017, a celebration turned into a nightmare for Ardion Richard. That was the day he killed his best friend. \n Around 1:10 a.m. at Sibley and North Leg roads, Ric…

www.augustachronicle.com

https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/motorist-who-killed-athens-bicyclist-sentenced-to-probation

Husband Pleads Guilty To Vehicular Homicide in Wife's Death

Ryan Patrick Quinton, the husband of Kali Shay Quinton, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday in Cherokee County Superior Court.

patch.com

No Jail Time For Georgia Teen Who Killed Two Women & A Baby In Traffic Accident

A Georgia teen was sentenced to 36 months of probation and other conditions after pleading guilty for killing two women and a baby in a traffic accident.

www.refinery29.com

https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/motorist-who-killed-athens-bicyclist-sentenced-to-probation

Judge hands down sentence in 2019 fatal hit and run accident – Douglas Now

douglasnow.com

Teen driver convicted of vehicular homicide asking for modified probation

The parents of a bride-to-be, who was killed in a car accident, doesn't want the convicted driver to be allowed to study abroad for college. An attorney for the teenager has asked a judge to allow the University of North Georgia student to travel to China this fall.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Judge hands down sentence in 2019 fatal hit and run accident – Douglas Now

douglasnow.com

(Note: Despite killing a person in an accident of his fault, the judge dismissing the actual charge)

EDIT: Spoilered for readability and after reading thread and seeing already a bunch of Heatley stuff.

Thanks to you and @Silky Johnson for the insightful comments here, especially yours with a lot of good info included. I’m not really wanting to get back into the Heatley discussion here, but I do appreciate the effort you’ve put in here to provide me with this information and didn’t want to dismiss this. I’m not crazy about that status quo if that’s the norm, honestly but it is what it is I guess.

 

[Jumptheshark]

wow, thats a wild story, great post


///


pat burns was a cop before his NHL life that ended at 58.

shame to HOF voters for not allowing his family and himself to enjoy his induction before his death.

a true crime on respect among other things

One thing keeping him out are the stories TOLD BY THE PLAYERS where Burns walked into a hotel room where "several" players where do some sort of white substance and he said 'I didn't see that' and walked away. It was in one of the books written on John Kordic

 

[MadArcand]

Not NHL, but actual murder of referee committed by a player:

Ladislav Ščurko - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

Auston Matthews and his gang waylaid, bullied and sexually harassed a black woman. After arrest he threw enough money at the problem until it went away.

Doesn't rise to the level of a death, but it is telling in that if some poor high school kid does similar misconduct, he probably can't buy his way out of it and therefore suffers the consequences ..see Miller and Mailloux. Rich NHLers can buy themselves out of trouble.

 

[Reality Czech]

I'm just saying I don't take Frost being a POS into account for what Danton did, considering it had nothing to do with why Danton did it.

How can you say that? Clearly Frost abusing Danton, either physically or mentally, had a lot to do with it. No one is excusing Danton, but Frost brought this on himself by being a terrible person.

It took 9 pages to mention Kevin Stevens. He got himself into a pretty sticky situation by going to a crack house in East St. Louis after a game against the Blues. I heard him discuss it on a podcast where he said that the receptionist saved him because it appeared the unsavory people were gonna rob him or worse.

Not NHL, but actual murder of referee committed by a player:

Ladislav Ščurko - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You left out the part where the guy who killed the ref got a light punishment due to an insanity defense and IS STILL playing professional hockey in Slovakia. Yikes.

 

[Indrid Cold]

Have you seen the new documentary about all that? Wild stuff. I could not recommend it more.

The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up

Both are wild.

Her case is a GREAT example of the 'context' argument. She actually got a fan base thinking her a hero for having her abusive mother killed. Then the crime scene photos got 'leaked', and it was obviously overkill.

You can't put yourself in the shoes, or mind, of someone like her, who had gone through what she went through. Nor can we do the same with a rich, spoiled athlete.

If someone robs you, is it to feed his family or buy a PlayStation? If it's to feed his family, hell, I would give him the money for that. If it's to buy luxury items, I'm pressing charges.

 

[Albatros]

You left out the part where the guy who killed the ref got a light punishment due to an insanity defense and IS STILL playing professional hockey in Slovakia. Yikes.

Not only that, but his boss Róbert Ľupták has been dragging him and multiple other convicted criminals (incl. Mitchell Miller) around from team to team solely because of their heinous baggage. And not even to give them a second chance or whatever, but just to be the ultimate edgelord.

 

[luiginb]

https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/former-nhler-patrick-cote-jailed-for-armed-robbery-reports/article_f7a37999-3b65-5f6c-a5db-eda710ad1f4a.html

Patrick Cote was jailed after confessing to two armed robberies (banks) in the Montreal area.

He played 105 NHL games for Dallas, Nashville, and Edmonton.

Just when I thought Cote couldn't get any cooler

 

[luiginb]

such a garbage puke.

and then goes on to lead the K in goals?!

Elite Prospects - KHL Stats 2023-2024

2023-2024 regular season player stats for KHL, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more.

www.eliteprospects.com

I mean, the KHL is a who's who of disgraced players nowadays