NHL Player Charged with Illegally Killing a Grizzly Bear

Read: How to Kill a Wolf

A defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks is being charged with illegally killing a grizzly bear in British Columbia. A photo of Clayton Stoner, originally from Port McNeil, BC, surfaced in 2013 showing him proudly holding the scruff of a drooping, dead bear while staring up at the heavens.

After the photo was leaked to the media, Stoner, who has possibly the most BC-centric surname of all time, released the following statement: "I applied for and received a grizzly bear hunting [license] through a British Columbia limited entry lottery last winter and shot a grizzly bear with my [license] while hunting with my father, uncle, and a friend in May. I love to hunt and fish and will continue to do so with my family and friends in British Columbia."

Stoner shot the bear halfway between Bella Coola and Bella Bella, an area in the Kwatna River Estuary. This area is known to be off-limits due to a ban issued by First Nations on trophy hunting.

Police allege that Stoner lied about being a BC resident. He's set to appear in court on October 9 and is being charged with five offenses related to the incident, including knowingly making a false statement to obtain a license, hunting out of season, and hunting without a license.

However contentious, it is legal in BC to hunt grizzly bears with the proper licensing in season, but Stoner was allegedly violating the province's regulations under the Wildlife Act.

Stoner signed a four-year contract with the Ducks in 2014 worth $13 million. Bleacher Report says it is the worst contract on the team—but hey, it should be enough for an OK lawyer.

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