The New York Rangers’ high wire act seemed to take a tumble and a fall.

Sandis Ozolinsh, the gambling defenseman who became the poster boy for the Rangers playoff failure, was arrested in White Plains on Tuesday for driving while intoxicated, when his car was stopped for speeding at 11:08 a.m. After taking a sobriety test, he registered a .17 blood-alcohol level, which is more than twice the state legal limit.

According to Steve Zipay of Newsday, Ozolinsh was driving a rented car and after he was pulled over, the arresting officer reported, “The driver's eyes were bloodshot and glassy . . . I noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on the driver's breath . . . the driver slurred his speech and swayed as he stood."

He was charged with DWI, a misdemeanor, and issued summonses for driving without a seatbelt and speeding. The defenseman was released without bail and has a court date of May 16.

It’s just another sad episode in a season of misfortune for the 33 year-old. He started the season in Anaheim, and entered the NHL substance treatment program late last year. After being released, Ozolinsh played for Latvia in the Torino Games and his performance impressed Rangers’ general manager Glen Sather enough to acquire him at the trading deadline on March 9.

Ozolinsh did register three goals and 11 assists in 19 regular season games for the Blueshirts, but too many times, he made defensive errors that cost the team. Then, in the Rangers playoff matchup against the Devils, the defenseman’s mistakes were so glaring – including shooting the puck into his own net in Game 2 – he became the target of the Garden boo-birds in Game 3. Coach Tom Renney eventually benched him for the final game of the series.

The Rangers are still on the hook for Ozolinsh’s final year of his contract at $2.75 million, but there were rumors out of Europe that he may retire, though it is not known if that’s from the NHL or just international play.

As of right now, Newsday reports the Rangers are planning on dealing with this situation internally, but the NHL will refer the defenseman to its aftercare program.

  E-mail this story |  Printer-friendly |  Discuss