Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette arrested for DUI

Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette was charged with a DUI on Wednesday. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

New Jersey Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette was arrested Wednesday for driving under the influence in Broward County, Florida.

The incident allegedly happened outside a bar, where Fox Sports’ Andy Slater said Brunette, who was driving a golf cart, parked the vehicle illegally. After telling police he was leaving, the 49-year-old allegedly returned to the bar to look for his wife, then was spotted by officers walking away while in the grip alcohol.

He was also charged with two counts of disobeying a stop sign or surrendering. Brunette posted $500 bond and was due to be released later Wednesday.

Although unconfirmed, 2022 finalist Jack Adams may have been in town for the NHL All-Star festivities. The weekend celebration is set to take place at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, located in Broward County.

Brunette is in her first year as an associate coach with the Devils. Last season, he served as interim head coach of the Florida Panthers after Joel Quenneville resigned due to his role in the Kyle Beach incident.

Brunette led the Panthers to the Presidents’ Trophy after taking over, but was let go after a second-round playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers instead gave the job of leader to Paul Maurice.

While he’s still highly coveted in the league, it’s unclear at this time if this could impact which teams hire Brunette as a coach this season. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in November that the coach had a clause in his deal with New Jersey that allowed him to leave for head coaching opportunities if something happened.

Prior to becoming a coach, the Sudbury, Ont., native played 16 seasons with various clubs, including the Minnesota Wild, where he was one of the club’s rotating captains during the team’s early years of expansion. .

After his playing career, Brunette served as an assistant coach with the Wild in 2015-16, then held the same position with the Panthers from 2019 until he was named interim head coach.

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