DEERFIELD BEACH, Florida. – Andrew Brunette, assistant coach of the New Jersey Devils and former head coach of the Florida Panthers, was arrested in south Florida on Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence.
According to Broward County Jail records, Brunette was held in the Deerfield Beach area north of Fort Lauderdale. He was also charged with two counts of disobeying a stop or give way sign. Brunette posted a $500 bond and was due to be released later Wednesday.
The Devils said in a statement they were aware of Brunette’s arrest and were gathering additional information.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately release a copy of Brunette’s arrest report. Online jail and court records didn’t list an attorney for brunette.
Brunette is in his first season as the Devils’ assistant coach. He was interim coach of the Florida Panthers last season, having taken over when Joel Quenneville resigned over his connection to a Chicago Blackhawks abuse scandal in 2010.
The Panthers fired Brunette after losing in the second round of the playoffs last spring, even though he led them to the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top team in the regular season.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, he played 1,159 NHL games for Washington, Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota, Colorado and Chicago from 1995 to 2012. He was Wild’s assistant from 2015-2016 and served on the Florida staff from 2019-2022.
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