Coyotes Place Galchenyuk on Waivers After Arrest on Misdemeanour Charges
Alex Galchenyuk, who was briefly an Ottawa Senator, was arrested Sunday on misdemeanour charges.
Feb 04, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Alex Galchenyuk (17) during the warm-up session before the game against Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports - Coyotes Place Galchenyuk on Waivers After Arrest on Misdemeanour ChargesJust 12 days after signing him, the Arizona Coyotes have placed free agent forward Alex Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers. Their game plan is to terminate his contract following his arrest over the weekend.
According to police in Arizona, Galchenyuk was arrested Sunday on misdemeanour charges of private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating. There were no injuries in the hit-and-run, which resulted only in property damage.
Galchenyuk was released Monday on his own recognizance.
In 2012, Galchenyuk was one of the hottest draft prospects in the world, selected third overall by the Montreal Canadiens. He played six seasons in Montreal and was a top-three scorer on the team in each of his final three years there. He was eventually traded to Arizona, straight up for Max Domi.
Galchenyuk has rapidly bounced around the league ever since, landing in Ottawa for the 2020-21 season. After signing a one-year, one-way deal with the Senators, Galchenyuk was frequently a healthy scratch, playing just 8 games. He was eventually traded that season to Carolina, along with Cedric Paquette, for Ryan Dzingel.
The NHL Players Association is now reviewing the matter, presumably looking into whether the Coyotes reaction is appropriate. The Coyotes announced the news Thursday but say they have no further comment at this time.
Galchenyuk allegedly threatened to cut out the kidneys of one of the arresting officer's family members, according to a police report.
"I will end your bloodline," the suspect allegedly told police. "One phone call and you're dead."
The police report alleges that the hockey player used a racial slur toward an officer and allegedly displayed signs of impairment. Galchenyuk's father was there as well and he's quoted in the police report, saying he had never seen his son act so aggressively before.
With the Coyotes cutting ties with Galchenyuk, they quickly signed another former Senator winger in Zack Sanford, who signed a one-year, two-way contract.