Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini released the following statement regarding today’s decision from the Scottsdale City Court.
“The Edmonton Oilers acknowledge and respect the decision handed down today by the Scottsdale City Court to goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Both Nikolai and the Oilers organization recognize the severity of what has transpired. We plan on meeting with Nikolai, his agent and the National Hockey League in the near future.”
As we mentioned before, the guilty verdict more or less guarantees that he will face at least 30 days in jail, not to mention the fact that he will probably face fines, community service and be forced to drive with a device that restricts his car privileges. He could face even more time (up to six months) or perhaps spend time in the dreaded “Tent City” if the judge decides to throw the book at him.
Again, we’ll discuss the Oilers side of the situation a little bit later. For more on how this will affect Khabibulin, click here.