The Buffalo Sabres placed player developmental coach Adam Mair on administrative leave on Thursday after reports surfaced of the former NHL player being arrested on a drunk driving charge with three children in his car last week.
The Sabres had no further comment, except to say they are aware of the situation.
WGRZ-TV Buffalo cited court records in reporting Mair was arrested in suburban Rochester, New York, on Sept. 4 after rear-ending another vehicle. The 46-year-old was charged with three felonies and three misdemeanors, including aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and endangering the welfare of a child.
A person at the Monroe County Sheriff’s department confirmed a police report involving Mair was filed on that date, but declined to reveal its contents.
A message left with Mair’s lawyer, Stephen Sercu, was not returned.
WGRZ said a deputy wrote in the police report that he could smell a strong odour of alcohol on Mair’s breath and that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.
Deputies said Mair failed field sobriety tests and initially refused to take a chemical breath test after he was taken to the police station. Deputies said Mair changed his mind and took the test and his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.2% — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08%.
Mair, from Hamilton, was a noted hard-hitting centre and enjoyed an 11-season NHL career, which included a seven-season stint with the Sabres. He also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings.
He retired after spending 2011-12 in the minors and was eventually hired by the Sabres as a developmental coach in 2015.
Mair played for the Ohsweken Golden Eagles in the Midwestern Junior B Hockey League in the 1994-95 season before joining the Owen Sound Platers of the Ontario Hockey League.
He was placed on leave just as Buffalo opened hosting a five-day prospects tournament involving four other NHL teams. The Sabres are scheduled to open training camp next week.
