I'll just copy a big chunk of the article by Mike McIntyre here. Important new information that has not been said in this blog before is presented in bold.
A police drug-recognition expert was called in to examine Byfuglien, 26, after he was spot-checked during the evening of Aug. 31 while boating on Lake Minnetonka because he didn't have proper lights on the craft.
"Mr. Byfuglien's speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were bloodshot and watery and he smelled of a consumed alcoholic beverage," Deputy Ben Bierbaum of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office water patrol division wrote in an arrest report. "Mr. Byfuglien was unable to successfully perform field sobriety tests as requested."
Sources told the Free Press he had just finished eating dinner at a dockside restaurant with his girlfriend, a business associate and another woman, where he is said to have had two or three glasses of wine.
Police were puzzled after Byfuglien agreed to a breathalyzer test -- and passed. He registered just .03, which is below the legal limit of .08. But police weren't finished.
"Based on his observations, Deputy Bierbaum formed the opinion that Mr. Byfuglien was under the influence and placed Mr. Byfuglien under arrest," the police report states. Byfuglien was taken to the police detachment where the drug expert analyzed him.
"Mr. Byfuglien stated that he had taken a muscle relaxer earlier that day, but that he could not remember the name of the muscle relaxer," said the report. "Mr. Byfuglien stated that he takes a 'handful' of supplements from 16 or 17 different bottles every day and that he does not know the names of the supplements."
Byfuglien refused to give a blood or urine sample, which is an automatic offence by law. The drug recognition expert noted his pulse was quite high -- up to 98 beats per minute. The normal range is between 60 to 90 beats per minute. Byfuglien also had a blood pressure reading of 175 over 100. The normal range is between 120-140 over 70-90, according to police.
Byfuglien also had a body temperature of 99.2 F, slightly above the normal reading of 98.6 F. There was a mysterious "distinct brown stain on his tongue," which police noted in their report. Police say his eyes were glassy and showed a "lack of smooth pursuit" which, combined with other factors, led to a belief he was "under the influence of a controlled substance and was unable to safely operate a watercraft."
The charge of refusing a blood or urine test carries a maximum one-year jail sentence, while the other charges of boating while intoxicated, failing to display proper lights and failing to provide enough floatation devices for himself and three other passengers on the boat carry a maximum of 90 days behind bars.
If convicted, Byfuglien would have to apply in writing to the Canadian government for a temporary-resident permit to enter the country. If granted, the order would expire after one year. Byfuglien would have to apply for five consecutive years before he could try to get a lifetime pass.
Manitoba also upholds any driver's licence suspension imposed in the United States. In Manitoba, a conviction for refusing a test draws a two-year licence suspension.
Now that Byfuglien has been charged, doctors from the NHL Players' Association and the league will assess whether he should be placed in a substance abuse program. Byfuglien led NHL defencemen last year in goals and helped guide the Chicago Blackhawks to the 2010 Stanley Cup before being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in June 2010.
If Buff had just declined to take the test because of some bad legal advice (which he has stated before), then that's one thing. I think the NHL, NHLPA, Jets, and maybe even the courts could give him a break. But this new information that makes it seem more and more likely that Dustin was under the influence of drugs (legal or otherwise) and will probably not be let go of so easily. Even if the courts aren't going to pursue tough charges, there is still a big problem if they suspend his liscene or give him any jail time.
The NHL and NHLPA are living in an era where substance abuse is a big deal, highlighted with the death of at least one player in the off season specifically because of drug abuse. NY Ranger Derek Boogaard's death was from an accidental mix of alcohol and the painkiller oxycodone supplied by his brother, Aaron.
Derek had just gotten out of a drug rehab center the day before his death. Aaron is being held in jail for contributing to his brother's death.
Two other deaths happened in the off season, but both appear to be a result of depression induced suicide and not a drug problem.
Still, the Player's Association and the League are under the microscope for their players' health and they cannot afford to be soft in the eyes of critics. The cannot they dismiss problems else they appear weak on the issue of player safety.
It will be interesting to see how they handle the Byfuglien situation given the scope of the facts starting to reveal themselves and the recent incidents with other players.
Now, switching gears ever so slightly.
Panini America (formally Donruss) is a trading card company that makes cards for hockey, football, baseball and others.
Well, they did a special feature with some players from different sports called "sketch cards". Basically, a player would sign one side of a blank card and draw a sketch on the other side. These would be randomly inserted inside the company’s wrapper-redemption program packs. Here is New Orleans Saints running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Mark Ingram explaining his card.
That's nice. But what does that have to do with Buff?
Well, as it turns out, Dustin Byfuglien did a card as well this year early in the summer. His drawing?
I kid you not. He drew a boat.
(I think. He's no Vitale.)
Someone just won it on an eBay auction for $122.
Consider his rookie card.
Even signed, with a piece of actual jersey incorporated in the card, it's worth $120.
Irony at its best or worst, depending on how you look at it.
TTFN
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