The 'Bulin Wall Crumbles

Today Oilers fans received the news that they've been dreading for months: Khabibulin is going to jail.

For anyone not up to date, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin was pulled over on February 8 near his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.  His blood alcohol level was found to be 0.164. That's over twice the legal limit and probably enough to kill a small animal.  I won't even bother making the stereotypical drunk Russian joke.  Today he was found guilty and could face between 30 days and 6 months in jail.

This is a huge hit to Oilers fans.  Khabibulin was supposed to be the big goaltender that was going to bear the weight of a shaky team.  After his back injury last November, the Oilers struggled to find a way to win, ending up a very distant last in the NHL by the end of the 2009/10 season.  For the sake of the younger and more impressionable hockey fans in Edmonton, I hope he does serve most of his jail term if only to show that no one can getaway with a DUI.  But of course the hockey fan in me just wants to see him back between the pipes in an Oilers jersey.

I think the whole affair is best summed up by Oilers GM Steve Tambellini's post on Twitter today: "Nikolai Khabibulin - the aging goalie I signed longterm for $3.75M per year - is going to jail. No punchline needed here folks."