Claude Giroux will not be charged for grabbing officer’s butt

By Patrick Schmidt | Jul 3, 2014

Apr 22, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux (28) skates on the ice against the New York Rangers during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. The Rangers won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Claude Giroux will not be charged after the Philadelphia Flyers All-Star right wing repeatedly grabbed the butt of an officer earlier this week that resulted in him spending the night in jail.

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The Hart Trophy finalist and team captain issued a statement after law enforcement decided charges would not be filed.

“I regret my actions on Canada Day and sincerely apologize to my fans, teammates and the Philadelphia Flyers organization for my misguided attempt at humor.

Following an investigation, law enforcement determined that charges are not warranted. I have the utmost respect for law enforcement and apologize to the Ottawa Police Department and specifically the individual officer. I will be making no further public comment on this matter.

I will not be distracted from my ongoing preparation for the upcoming season. I remain 100% committed and focused on working with my team to return the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia.”

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall issued the following statement in the wake of the news.

“We’ve been in contact with Claude and the Ottawa Police Service and have been informed that no charges will be filed. Moving forward, we will deal with this incident internally and we will no longer publicly discuss this matter.”

Giroux, 26, matched his career-high with 28 goals and added 58 assists for 86 points, the latter two totals represented his second-best output in his career. He finished third in Hart Trophy voting to Sidney Crosby and Ryan Getlaf. He also had six points in the Flyers first round playoff matchup against the New York Rangers.