Early this morning, police charged former Hounds captain Blake Speers with impaired driving and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
At around 1 a.m., officers patrolling the area of Boundary Road and Trunk Road noticed a vehicle driving erratically, police said in a release.
They conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on Chambers Avenue and developed grounds to believe his ability to drive was impaired by alcohol.
The accused provided multiple breath samples into an approved screening device, which registered above the legal limit.
Speers, 27, was arrested and charged with:
- Operation While Impaired – Drug and/or Alcohol
- Operation While Impaired – Blood Alcohol Concentration (80+)
- Dangerous Operation
He was released on an appearance notice and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 13, 2025.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and Speers is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
A former captain of the Soo Greyhounds, Speers played 217 games for the OHL squad from 2013 to 2017.
He was also a member of Canada's 2017 World Junior hockey squad, which won a silver medal.
Speers went on to play five games in the NHL: three with the New Jersey Devils and two with the Arizona Coyotes.
He is currently listed as an assistant coach with the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
SooToday has reached out to Speers for comment via Facebook but has not yet received a response.