The Buffalo Sabres have placed director of player development Adam Mair on administrative leave after he was arrested last week in Rochester, New York for allegedly driving while intoxicated. Three children were in the car. He was charged with three felonies and three misdemeanors, per WGRZ's Charlie Specht and Sean Mickey, which include aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and endangering the welfare of a child.
Mair, a retired forward who played seven of his 11 NHL seasons with the Sabres, was hired as Buffalo's player development coach in 2015 before climbing the ladder. Given that this organization is intent on taking a leap and ending a 14-year playoff drought, his role is an important one. Obviously, though, this goes beyond the ice, especially given the allegations.
The Monroe County Sheriff's department says Mair rear-ended another vehicle, which eventually led to them inquiring about his condition. Police say they could smell alcohol on Mair and observed his eyes to be blood shot and glassy. They conducted field sobriety tests, which the 46-year-old allegedly failed, and then requested that he take a breathalyzer test. Mair agreed after initially refusing and registered a blood alcohol content of 0.2 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit.
The Sabres issued a statement, claiming they are aware of the situation and are placing Adam Mair on administrative leave, but they did not comment any further. Rookie camp is underway and training camp is set to begin next week, so Buffalo would certainly prefer to move forward without publicly addressing the arrest again. That may not be an option, though.
