Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was been convicted of careless boating in court on Monday and the 27-year-old will be fined $1,000 and receive a 30-day sentence - 28 of which will be suspended.
Byfuglien was charged in August of last year while boating on Lake Minnetonka. The Jets defenceman faced charges of boating while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and refusing a urine or blood sample. Those charges were dropped Monday morning in a Minneapolis courtroom.
"After allowing the legal process to play out, we are thankful to see this matter resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved," said the Jets organization in a team statement. "As an organization, the Winnipeg Jets are happy this is behind Dustin and he can look forward to the upcoming hockey season, along with the rest of the team and their passionate fan base."
Two days of the sentence will include 'workhouse' type of work - garbage pickup. Byfuglien's lawyer Mitch Robinson had hoped his client could serve the community in some sort of hockey-related matter but the Judge refused, saying Byfuglien would be treated like anyone else.
Robinson had been trying to get the charges dropped as far back as the new year, but the prosecution wouldn't hear of it. The case seemed headed for a judge and jury before a resolution was reached in the courthouse Monday morning.
