Devils associate coach and former Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette was arrested Wednesday for driving under the influence in Broward County, Florida, according to the county’s arrest log.
Brunette was also charged for disobeying a stop sign or yield sign, and he’s being held on a $500 bond, according to the arrest log. He was taken to the Main Jail in Broward County. WPLG Local 10 and Andy Slater first reported Brunette’s arrest.
“We are aware of the reports today regarding Associate Coach Andrew Brunette and are currently in the process of gathering additional information,” a Devils spokesman told The Post.
Andrew Brunette was being held in the Broward County Main Jail, with a bond set at $500.Broward County
The Devils hired Andrew Brunette in July to join head coach Lindy Ruff’s staff.Getty ImagesBrunette, 49, became Florida’s interim coach last season after Joel Quenneville resigned “following a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual abuse case,” according to an ESPN article from October 2021. Brunette inherited a 7-0-0 record and guided the Panthers to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they lost to the Lightning.
He wasn’t named the team’s permanent head coach following the season, though, as Florida opted to hire Paul Maurice instead.
In July, the Devils hired him as an associate coach on head coach Lindy Ruff’s staff. New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald called Brunette a “walking encyclopedia hockey-wise” and also referenced Brunette’s desire to work under Ruff — and Ruff’s desire to work with Brunette — as reasons for the hiring, according to an NHL.com article from July.
Andrew Brunette was named the Florida Panthers’ interim coach last season after Joel Quenneville resigned.Getty Images
Andrew Brunette helped guide the Panthers to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, where they ultimately lost to the Lightning.Getty ImagesAccording to WPLG Local 10 and Broward County court records, Brunette had been involved in two other traffic infractions while on Florida’s staff as its assistant and head coach. He was cited for going 27 mph in a 15 mph school zone on Feb. 4, 2021, in a case where Brunette pleaded not guilty before a traffic hearing officer dismissed it three months later. Brunette was also cited and fined for traveling 58 mph in a 40 mph area.
The Devils currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division with a 32-13-4 record entering the All-Star game — this weekend in Sunrise, Florida — with eight wins in their last 10 games.
