He went from behind the bench to behind bars.
New Jersey Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette was charged with driving under the influence early Wednesday morning in Florida at NHL All-Star week. He was driving home from a bar in his golf cart at the time, according to officials.
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A more sober Andrew Brunette attends last year’s NHL All-Star week. (David Becker/Getty Images)
Brunette, 49, was detained in Deerfield Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, according to online jail records. The NHL All-Star game will take place Saturday at the Florida Panthers’ arena in Sunrise, just 10 miles south of where Brunette was arrested.
Along with the DUI charge, Brunette was slapped with two counts of ignoring a stop or yield sign. He posted $500 bail and was expected to walk free Wednesday, according to online records.
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Brunette is in his first season with the Devils. Last year, he was the head coach of the Panthers and steered them to their best regular season in franchise history. Brunette took over eight games into the season after his predecessor Joel Quenneville was ousted for his role in the Chicago Blackhawks sex abuse scandal.
The Panthers fired Brunette after they were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs. He caught on with Lindy Ruff’s Devils staff and has helped steer the team to arguably its most promising season in a decade, led by all-star forward Jack Hughes.
The Devils said Wednesday they were aware of Brunette’s arrest and “gathering information.”
With News Wire Services