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NHL players who have been charged with serious crimes

With the Ray Rice incident in the news, here is a list of NHL players who have been charged with crimes related to murder, homicide and/or manslaughter.

October 2007 – Rob Ramage

Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Rob Ramage was found guilty of being criminally responsible for causing the death of his friend in a horrific car crash. Ramage was guilty of five charges, including impaired and dangerous driving, in the death of former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Keith Magnuson. Magnuson died instantly from head and chest injuries when a rental car Ramage was driving crashed head-on into a Nissan Pathfinder on Dec. 15, 2003. Ramage was also found guilty of impaired and dangerous driving in causing injuries to Michelle Pacheco, the driver of the Pathfinder. Ramage was sentenced to 4 years in prison, but was granted parole in May 2011.

February 2005 – Dany Heatley

Dany Heatley pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges in exchange for prosecutors dropping charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, which could have meant up to 15 years in prison. Heatley was also ordered to make 50 speeches a year for three years about the perils of speeding. His car was also required to have a mechanism to prevent it from exceeding 70 miles an hour. Heatley had been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of Dan Snyder, his Atlanta Thrashers teammate and friend, following a crash in September 2003.

December 1987 – Brian Spencer

Brian Spencer, an NHL player from 1969 to 1979, was indicted for murder and kidnapping. He stood trial in Palm Beach County, Fla., and was acquitted.

May 1984 – Craig MacTavish

Craig MacTavish was convicted of vehicular homicide in May 1984 while a member of the Boston Bruins. While drunk, he rear-ended a car, causing it to skid into a parking lot, where it hit two more cars and overturned. The other driver died days later and MacTavish served a year in prison. MacTavish would return to the NHL, winning four Stanley Cup titles and currently serves as the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.

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