According to a report from the Scottsdale Police Department, the center for the Arizona Coyotes, Alex Galchenyuk exhibited erratic and aggressive behavior toward police officers following an apparent car collision with a sign.
The Coyotes made the decision to release Galchenyuk from their team following a troubling incident involving the player and law enforcement.
In a highly concerning turn of events, Galchenyuk is said to have made threats towards the officers, including threats to have them killed.
According to the report, Galchenyuk made alarming statements, referencing his connections in Moscow and issuing threats such as “I‘m going to harm you, your wife, your daughter” and “a single phone call and your entire family, your bloodline, will be extinguished.”
To compound the severity of the situation, Galchenyuk allegedly directed racial slurs toward one of the officers involved.
This behavior is both deeply troubling and unacceptable.
In light of these serious allegations and the clear violation of professional and ethical standards, the Arizona Coyotes took the appropriate action to release Galchenyuk from their team.
Arizona Coyotes Alex Galchenyuk Accident- Controversy
Galchenyuk, who was born in the US to Belarusian parents and spent a significant portion of his childhood in Russia, reportedly directed racial slurs multiple times toward the officer in training, according to the police report.
In response to the incident, the Coyotes terminated Galchenyuk’s contract due to a significant breach of contractual terms following his placement on unconditional waivers.
The team issued a statement expressing their strong condemnation of such behavior and outlined their immediate actions to terminate his contract in coordination with the National Hockey League.
Galchenyuk was arrested on charges of private property hit-and-run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, and threatening or intimidating, as stated by the police.
According to a witness, a white BMW, allegedly driven by Galchenyuk, collided with a curb and sign.
Responding officers observed Galchenyuk on the ground, with another individual putting him in the passenger seat before driving away.
The officers conducted a traffic stop and noted that both individuals appeared heavily impaired.
Galchenyuk became agitated, exhibiting erratic movements, which prompted the officer to request him to exit the vehicle.
Galchenyuk resisted arrest, requiring assistance from the officer in training to handcuff him, as described in the report.
During the transportation to the Scottsdale jail, Galchenyuk allegedly made threats and repeatedly used racial slurs, as reported by the police.
He was subsequently booked on misdemeanor charges and released the following day on his own recognizance.
Galchenyuk initially claimed to officers that he was joking about the threats, according to the report.
