Alex Galchenyuk: an arrest led to the end of his contract

At noon today, we were treated to a rather surprising announcement, when we learned that the Coyotes had placed Alex Galchenyuk on the ballot with a view to terminating his contract. This was surprising, given that the forward had reached an agreement with the club on July 1.

So it had only been 12 days.

That said, we’ve just learned the exact reasons behind the Coyotes’ decision, and clearly, it makes sense when you factor it all in.

In fact, according to what Scottsdale police confirmed to reporter Katie Strang, Chucky was arrested on July 9 and is currently facing several charges.

These include hit-and-run, improper conduct, resisting arrest and threatening and/or intimidating others.

We agree that it doesn’t look great for the player, who won’t be playing for the Coyotes next year. And clearly, we can expect him not to play in the NHL or AHL at all next year.

Clearly, all this explains the Coyotes’ decision. And it’s a real shame for Galchenyuk, who may have just scratched his last chance in North America.

It’s a real waste of talent when you think back over his entire career, and recent events are no exception.

In short, we’ll see how the situation develops over the coming weeks, but clearly, things aren’t looking good for the former CH player. We hope he gets better, because he clearly needs help and support right now.

Extension

We know very few details of the story, so it’s hard to understand why he might have done what he did.

Still, it’s a shame in every sense of the word.

It’s worth noting, however, that he didn’t hurt anyone during his actions: he simply attacked material goods. His first hearing is scheduled for August 11.