A Bad Night In The Desert

I'm not here to pile on Alex Galchenyuk. The last 24 hours have been downright insane with the reports emerging out of Scottsdale, Arizona about his arrest, and we already know that the Arizona Coyotes are terminating his contract. This hasn't been the best of weeks in any measurable way, but it seems very obvious that Alex Galchenyuk is screaming for help to me despite not knowing him personally. It's at this moment where I wonder about the NHLPA's policy of not offering help until one seeks it when it comes to substance abuse and rehabilitation because this is one of those times where it seems like Alex should be told he's going into a recovery program rather than him voluntarily seeking that help.

Before we get to the NHLPA policy, let's review what happened in Scottsdale with respect to Galchenyuk's situation. The 29 year-old was arrested on July 9 on a number of charges, including private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating, and was confirmed by the Scottsdale Police Department via email to to Rogers Sportsnet. Those charges resulted in the Coyotes terminating Galchenyuk's contract that he had signed on July 1.

At that point, the NHLPA indicated that it was looking into the matter, but today got infinitely worse as details of that arrest were published. According a CBS report by Isabel Gonzalez,

"Galchenyuk had been lying on the ground close to his car when his father, Alexander Galchenyuk Sr., was reportedly seen picking him up and putting him in the passenger seat. The father then drove away before officers conducted a traffic stop, but they were later pulled over. While the father tried to take the blame for the incident and said he was the one who ran over the curb, witnesses said the son had been the one driving the car.

"Galchenyuk was reportedly 'heavily impaired' and smelled like alcohol. He was allegedly not cooperating and began threatening the officers by saying he had connections in Russia who could hurt them and their loved ones."

Before we go any further, I can't officially state that Galchenyuk has a problem with alcohol, but it seems like he does have an issue with drinking and driving. That fact alone should warrant a stint in a rehabilitation facility because this story could have ended a lot worse. The problem, though, is that we're still not done.

Gonzalez's reporting continues as she writes,

"The victim of the hit-and-run was in a nearby parking lot about a half mile from where Galchenyuk had been found. While she wasn't physically hurt, her vehicle showed damage, and she does intend to press charges."

A second report by John Marshall of The Associated Press also noted, "Galchenyuk made the threats and repeatedly uttered the racial slur as he was driven to the Scottsdale jail" which is absolutely abhorrent.

Again, this could have ended much worse, but, fortunately and thankfully, the woman whith whom Galchenyuk had the fender bender is doing fine. Galchenyuk, meanwhile, will likely be forced to pay for damages caused, but this is where a judge should step in and mandate alcohol rehabilitation measures because a close call is too close for comfort in matters like this.

This is the point where I take a step back, though, and wonder about who is helping Alex Galchenyuk in this situation. It seems Galchenyuk's father only made things worse by trying to cover up for his son by driving away and lying to police, so he's not helping whatsoever. In fact, in this situation, he should be held just as culpable as his son for his actions in trying to cover for his son. Doing stupid things comes with serious consequences.

Because the Coyotes terminated his contract, Alex Galchenyuk can't be suspended for what happened. He likely has shortened his career by significant lengths, though, but that should be the least of his concerns at this point. In this case, the NHLPA should step in and mandate that Alex Galchenyuk be enrolled in some sort of rehabilitation program in order to ensure that he understands the circumstances and the potential consequences he could have faced as well as getting treatment if he does have a problem with alcohol. The only problem is that the NHLPA won't do that due to their policy.

According to the policy, a player has to voluntarily enroll in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. If a player doesn't seek enrolment, neither the NHL nor the NHLPA will enroll the player for his own safety and the safety of others. As thoroughly baffling as that sounds, the only players who receive treatment are those who admit they have a problem. That's usually the first step in any recovery program, so it would seem that the player assistance program is only there for players who are ready to embrace change.

Is Alex Galchenyuk ready to admit he has a problem?

My hope is that he is. He doesn't have an NHL contract meaning there's less worry about interrupting his summer training or a training camp routine, so my hope would be that he can ask the NHL and NHLPA for help, get the treatment he needs to understand that his behaviours and his drunkenness on the night of July 9 is not acceptable for a person of his stature, and hopefully he overcomes this incident and finds a way back to the NHL.

The details of this incident certainly don't paint Alex Galchenyuk in a good light in any way, but there is a path out of this mess and it involves taking responsibility for his behaviour and actions. If he can admit he did wrong, seek the treatment needed to gain the knowledge to prevent this type of incident again, and make things right for the victims through apologies and restitution, there's no reason why Alex Galchenyuk can't continue to have a hockey career.

The next few weeks will determine how serious Alex Galchenyuk is when it comes to being a member of the NHL community.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!