Halifax Mooseheads star winger Jordan Dumais has been suspended for five games after being charged by police for driving under the influence earlier this month.
In a statement, Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. Paul DesRochers said officers stopped a vehicle in the 2000 block of Brunswick Street in Halifax for a traffic violation around 2:20 a.m. March 1.
“Officers observed signs of impairment from the driver and arrested them,” he said.
Dumais, 19, is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court at a later date to face charges of operating a conveyance while impaired and operating a conveyance with a blood alcohol level of over .08.
In Nova Scotia, drivers caught with a blood alcohol content of .05 to .08 can lose their license for seven days on a first offence.
In a statement, the Mooseheads said Dumais violated the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the team’s code of conduct and has been suspended for five games, which began on March 14.
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He will miss the remainder of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs, it said.
“Since this was an off-ice infraction, the matter was handled internally while the team remained in constant communication with the League,” it said.
“The QMJHL and the Mooseheads demand exemplary behavior from all its players, both on and off the ice.”
When asked about the DUI charge, Mooseheads communications officer Scott MacIntosh said “that is all we have to say.”
Dumais, who is from the Montreal region, is a third-round pick of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. He won MVP honours in the 2023 QMJHL season where he racked up 140 points and led the league in scoring.
In a statement, Blue Jackets spokesperson Todd Sharrock said they are aware of the situation and “take this matter very seriously.”
“We are supportive of the actions taken by his junior club and will have no further comment at this time,” he said.
In November, Dumais became Halifax’s all-time point scorer when he picked up his 304th career point, breaking a record previously held by Nova Scotia’s Brandon Benedict.
He underwent surgery in January after reaggravating an injury during his time with Team Canada at the world junior hockey championships. The Mooseheads statement Friday said he was “back healthy.”
— with files from Philip Croucher
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