VANCOUVER — An NHL defenceman has been charged with five offences related to the shooting of a grizzly bear on British Columbia's central coast.
Clayton Stoner of the Anaheim Ducks is accused of two counts of knowingly making a false statement to obtain a hunting licence.
Court documents show the statements were allegedly made in Stoner's hometown of Port McNeill in May 2013, when he played for the Minnesota Wild.
Stoner faces separate counts of hunting out of season, hunting without a licence and unlawfully possessing dead wildlife related to the shooting of a bear near Bella Bella.
Stoner has never denied the hunt, which sparked controversy when a picture was posted online showing him holding the severed head of a grizzly, but he claimed to have the necessary permits and licences.
The 30-year-old is due to appear in court in Vancouver on Oct. 9, the day before the Ducks season opener in San Jose and three days before his team meets the Vancouver Canucks in Anaheim.
