NHL News: Kings’ Jarret Stoll Charged With Possession Of Cocaine

Los Angeles Kings centre Jarret Stoll was charged on Monday with one count of possession of controlled substance according to reports from the LA Times.

Stoll, who was arrested on April 17, was charged with one felony count of cocaine possession two months after he was arrested at the Wet Republic pool at MGM Grand Las Vegas. Police reports said that Stoll admitted that the 3.3 grams of powder in his pockets was cocaine. If convicted, the 32-year old veteran will face a maximum of four years in state prison, but could receive a suspended sentence and probation upon the discretion of the judge as per ocregister.com.

The LA Kings centre was immediately referred to the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association joint Substance abuse and Behavioral Health Program. Stoll, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, will have his first court date on July 1 when free agency starts. A crime conviction can drastically affect the value of his market in this summer’s signings.

Stoll had been with the Kings since 2008 and was a vital piece of the Kings 2012 and 2014 championship campaign. He recorded six goals and 11 assists in 73 games last season. However, the two-time Stanley Cup champ was probably going elsewhere or worst case scenario, will not get any offer from other teams.

The Kings seemed to take a proactive approach in Stoll’s recovery by intending to bring a speaker on September’s training camp to educate players about the consequences of abusing drugs. LA Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi said he met with Stoll and called it one of the gut-wrenching meetings he has ever had in his career as GM.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said via email that they are aware of Stoll’s case, but will not release any comment yet. He also had no response about whether Stoll will be suspended by the league for his actions.