A former captain of the Soo Greyhounds received a penalty (a $2,000 fine) and a suspension (the loss of his licence for 12 months) Tuesday for drinking and driving.
Blake Speers, 28, pleaded guilty to impaired operation (over 80) in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom, where a judge heard his blood-alcohol readings were nearly three times the legal limit when he was arrested.
He was charged in the early morning hours of Dec. 5 when city police officers, patrolling areas in the east end, spotted a vehicle travelling erratically on Boundary Road.
The driver was swerving and crossing the centre line, prosecutor Adrianna Mucciarelli told the court.
His right-turn light was on, but he kept travelling straight ahead.
When the cops stopped Speers, they noted the odour of alcohol on his breath, his blood-shot eyes and that he was having difficulty answering their questions, the assistant Crown attorney said.
He failed roadside breath tests and was taken to the police station, where he registered readings of 230 and 220 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
Speers played 217 games for the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie team between 2013 and 2017.
He also was a member of Canada's 2017 World Junior hockey team, 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.
The Crown and defence lawyer Michael Venturi jointly recommended the minimum $2,000 fine, plus the 12-month driving prohibition.
Spears' high readings, poor driving on a busy street, swerving and crossing lanes, are aggravating factors, Mucciarelli told Ontario Court Justice Heather Mendes.
"He's lucky he didn't injure himself or others on the road," the prosecutor said.
His client has no criminal record, has a full-time job and is involved in the community, Venturi said.
There were triable issues and his plea recognizes his level of contrition, the Sudbury lawyer told the judge.
Speers made a single poor decision in an otherwise pro-social life, Venturi said. He doesn't wish to address the court, but apologizes and will follow the court's orders, the defence indicated.
When she imposed the sentence, the judge said Speers is "very fortunate that he didn't injure himself or anyone else."
Mendes also noted "this is the most preventable criminal offence" but "we find people in court over and over again" facing these charges.
She then told Speers: "I hope I don't see you here again."