Alex Galchenyuk threatened to have police officers killed during a July 9 arrest for hit and run, according to multiple reports on Friday.
The 29-year-old forward had his contract terminated on Thursday by the Arizona Coyotes days after he signed with the team.
“I’m gunna chop you and your daughter,” Galchenyuk told officers during the incident, according to the police report, adding, “One phone call and you’re all dead, your whole family, your whole blood line is dead.”
The 11-year NHL veteran, who spent much of his youth in Russia, cited connections to Moscow and uttered a racial slur multiple times while referring to an officer in training, per the report.
He later said he was joking about the threats.
A witness told police that a white BMW hit a curb and sign and Galchenyuk got out and laid on the ground.
When officers arrived, they watched a man — who The Athletic reported was later determined to be his father — take Galchenyuk off the ground about 20 feet from the car and put him into the passenger seat and drive away.
As police pulled the car over, they noticed both men were heavily impaired, with Galchenyuk becoming agitated to the point he was handcuffed.
He was taken to Scottsdale jail, where he was booked on a misdemeanor charge and released on recognizance the next day.
The Coyotes, who brought Galchenyuk back for a third stint with the team on July 1 by inking a one-year deal worth $775,000, waived him on Thursday with the intention of terminating the contract.
“We are aware of the incident involving Alex Galchenyuk and strongly condemn this type of behavior,” the Coyotes said in a statement. “Once the club was made aware of the allegations, we immediately began the process of terminating his standard player’s contract through the proper channels in conjunction with the National Hockey League.”
Galchenyuk spent most of the 2022-23 season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, getting in 11 games with the Colorado Avalanche.