Nikolai Khabibulin has now received an enhanced extreme drunk driving charge in connection with his Arizona arrest earlier this month. Because he plays for a Canadian team in an international sport, this charge could have career altering implications.
Khabibulin currently plays with the Edmonton Oilers, but was previously with the Chicago Blackhawks for a number of seasons. Khabibulin's BAC at the time of his arrest exceeded the enhanced DUI limit of .15% in the state of Arizona, leading to the extreme charges. He will be charged with a misdemeanor punishable with up to six months in jail. He will also face an excessive speeding charge following the incident.
The goalie was arrested in Scottsdale, just outside Phoenix, shortly after 12AM on February 8. He was traveling around 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. Officers immediately noted signs of impairment and issued a field sobriety test. The results of a blood test confirming the high BAC were just released, leading to the enhanced charge.
Under Arizona DUI law, a person charged with "extreme" DUI, if convicted, must serve a minimum of 30 days in jail. While some Phoenix area jurisdictions allow any jail time after 15 days to be served on home detention, Scottsdale does not. According to local Scottsdale DUI lawyers, if his BAC is more than a .179%, the Scottsdale Prosecutor's Office is unlikely to plea bargain any kind of reduction.
Many Scottsdale DUI defendants accused of extreme DUI opt to take their cases to trial because the consequences of pleading guilty are so punitive. Scottsdale does have its own jail facilities, but any person convicted of DUI who has to serve more than a handful of days gets sent to the Maricopa County Jail, known as "Tent City," and run by the world-famous Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Canada views misdemeanor DUI convictions that occur in the United States as felonies, and makes it difficult or impossible for a non-Canadian citizen to enter Canada with a US DUI conviction on their record. Khabibulin, who is a Russian citizen (and who helped Russia win a Gold metal in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville), could have an administrative and bureaucratic nightmare on his hands.
