The most recent guilty verdict against an NHL player for slamming down too much alcohol came yesterday in Scottsdale, Arizona when Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin was found guilty of speeding and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol over twice the legal limit.

The 37-year-old goalie was originally arrested on February 8, 2010 after he was pulled over for speeding in his black Ferrari and blowing a .164 count. The cops responded by cuffing him and having him cheese for the mugshot shown here. Not really a bad mug considering how much the dude drank.

This guilty verdict is bad news for the Oilers and their netminder since driving with a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit in Arizona is known as an extreme DUI and extreme DUI offenders many times spend a minimum of 30 days behind bars.

If that happens then Khabibulin may miss a few weeks of the Oilers’ training camp that starts Sept. 17. Although a veteran, Khabibulin could use the ice time after missing most of last year due to a herniated disc that required going under the knife in January.

The sentencing trial is said to be set for August 31 pending approval of the state.

Khabibulin joins other NHL stars Patrick Kane and Chris Chelios in our Jocks Behind Bars and don’t forget the honorable mention for Sergei Federov who can be found cheesing in our Athletes Mugshots Gallery.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

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