Money Can't Buy Sobriety

Ryan O'Reilly is a pretty solid player. He's scores goals, he plays hard, he backchecks fairly well, and he's pretty consistent. He's also the Buffalo Sabres highest-paid player in the history of their team after signing a new deal earlier this summer that will see him wear blue-and-yellow for the next seven years. While O'Reilly has signed a major deal with the Sabres after being traded by the Avalanche, I'm not sure how he'll look in Sabres' colors as I have yet to see him wear anything Sabres-related. But at some point, he wear the same colors as Perreault, Lafontaine, and Mogilny. Or possibly an orange jumpsuit.

If you haven't heard the news yet, the Ontario Provincial Police have charged O'Reilly with DUI after he reportedly parked his green pickup truck inside a Tim Hortons restaurant. Yes, you read that correctly: not at a Tim Hortons, but rather INSIDE the restuarant. The OPP stated in a release today that they were dispatched to investigate a single motor vehicle crash where a "green Chevrolet pickup truck struck a commercial retail building and the occupants left the vehicle". The location of this crash was reportedly in a smaller town north of London, Ontario called Lucan. Seen below is the Tim Hortons restaurant in Lucan according to Google Maps' street view.

I'm not going to downplay the fact that he's being charged with impaired driving because that's a pretty serious offence in its own right. However, leaving the scene of an accident only complicates the entire process and puts O'Reilly in serious trouble. The police also charged O'Reilly with care or control over 80 milligrams, meaning he had a blood alcohol concentration over 80mg per 100ml of blood. While there may be some argument as to how the officers were able to ascertain that reading, one must assume that they administered a breath sample to obtain this reading and charge O'Reilly with the offence. If he is found guilty of the care or control charge, a first-time offence will result in a $1000 fine and the suspension of driving privileges for one year.

Needless to say, O'Reilly's in some hot water.

The sad part is that O'Reilly got himself a new green Chevrolet pickup truck just seven weeks ago as per his Instagram account. I have to admit that it looks great, and it's a shame that it was used to turn the interior of the Tim Hortons into a second drive-thru lane. The old Chevy is a beauty automobile, but it, like the Tim Hortons in Lucan, will most likely need extensive repairs to bring it back to its former glory. Thank goodness O'Reilly just signed a $52.5 million, signing-bonus heavy contract. He's gonna need some cash flow very shortly.

Of course, O'Reilly is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and I'd be kidding myself if some sort of reduced sentence and community service aren't exchanged for leniency. We tell young people in this country that one night of stupidity can result in a lifetime of pain, and here is a 24 year-old man who has realized his dreams only to see them shattered in an evening of stupidity.

Use your head, folks. No one wins when someone drinks and drives.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!