Stars’ defenseman charged in incident

The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS — Stars defenseman Trevor Daley was released on $3,000 (Canadian) bail Monday on charges that he and another NHL player uttered death threats in a Toronto nightclub.

Daley’s attorney said his client is not guilty and that the case will not prevent Daley from attending the team’s prospect camp beginning Sept. 9 or training camp beginning Sept. 20.

Daley’s next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 17, but his attorney, Dan Kirby, said Daley does not need to be there.

“His plans are to fulfill his obligations with the hockey team,” Kirby said. “There is nothing in this that will prevent him from doing that.”

Daley, 20, and Luke Sellars, 23, a defenseman in the Atlanta Thrashers’ system, were arrested after an incident early Monday at the nightclub Money in Toronto’s entertainment district after an alleged incident with a doorman. The case does not specify what the players allegedly said.

Daley did not comment on the charges, only saying he expected to travel to Texas later this week and attend the prospect camp.

“These are not serious allegations,” Kirby said. “It involves a bouncer at a nightclub who is unhappy about what happened.”

Conditions of the bail, however, are serious. The judge in the case stipulated that the players must not buy, consume or possess alcoholic beverages (legal drinking age is 19 in Ontario), they are not to enter the entertainment district and are not to associate with the alleged victim, people with criminal records or members of the Hells Angels. The court did not to explain the tie to the Hells Angels.

Kirby said that “perhaps words were exchanged in the heat of the moment … but there was no allegations of violence or force.”

Daley played 27 games last season with the Stars and had one goal and five assists in his rookie campaign. He is expected to battle to be among the top six defensemen this season.

Sellars played in one game for the Thrashers in 2001-02.