Galchenyuk entering player assistance program, apologizes after arrest

Warning: Story contains coarse language

Alex Galchenyuk is entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program after he was arrested last week, he said in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday.

The 11-year NHL veteran also issued an apology to police for his "deeply disrespectful and despicable behavior," according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The Arizona Coyotes terminated Galchenyuk's contract Thursday - 12 days after signing him as a free agent - after learning he was arrested for a hit-and-run incident in Scottsdale, Arizona, on July 9.

Galchenyuk was arrested on several charges, including private property hit-and-run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, and threatening or intimidating. No injuries resulted from the hit-and-run, only property damage.

Police say Galchenyuk used racial slurs toward an officer and threatened to have two officers killed. He cited connections in Moscow while stating, "I'm gonna chop you, your wife, your daughter ... one phone call, and you're all dead, your whole family, your bloodline is dead," police said in the report.

Galchenyuk was born in the United States to Belarusian parents and spent much of his childhood in Russia.

In a letter sent to the Scottsdale Police Department obtained by ESPN, Galchenyuk wrote that "they did not deserve that outburst" and that he was "sorry for the pain it had caused."

Galchenyuk wrote:

My actions after drinking alcohol were not representative of who I am, but I must take responsibility for them, and I hope to one day be able to show you that I am a better person than who you sadly encountered last week. What all of you do, putting your lives on the line to protect and serve others, is nothing short of selfless and heroic. I appreciate and respect each of you, and I want you to know I will work on myself every day with the goal of one day being able to make amends and to try to earn your forgiveness.

Galchenyuk also directed an apology to the Coyotes organization and its fans, writing, "I let you all down, and I am truly sorry."

Galchenyuk was set to embark on his third stint with the Coyotes after signing a one-year, two-way deal with the club on July 1. The contract carried a $775,000 cap hit in the NHL and $225,000 in the AHL.

The 29-year-old spent last season with the Avalanche organization, failing to record a point in 11 NHL games while spending most of the year in the AHL.

Galchenyuk was once viewed as one of the NHL's brightest young stars. He was selected third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2012 and set career highs with 30 goals and 56 points as a 21-year-old in 2015-16. He's bounced around since leaving Montreal in 2018, never playing consecutive years with the same team. He's had brief, unsuccessful stops with the Coyotes (twice), Penguins, Wild, Senators, Maple Leafs, and Avalanche.

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