Edmonton Oilers goalie prospect Tyler Bunz is no longer facing an impaired driving charge, as Crown prosecutors stayed proceedings against him Thursday morning.
Crown prosecutor John Donahoe told the court in Morinville he had reviewed the file, as had several other prosecutors, and they could see “no reasonable likelihood of conviction” in the case.
Bunz was initially charged in St. Albert on May 28, 2011. He was scheduled to go to trial March 5 but that was delayed so the Crown could further review the file.
A stay of proceedings technically gives the Crown a year to investigate a case further and possibly restart the charges, but in practice a stay usually marks the end of criminal proceedings.
Bunz, a St. Albert native, currently plays for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League and was drafted by the Oilers in 2010. He recently signed a standard three-year entry-level contract with the NHL team.
