Anaheim Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner is facing five charges related to a 2013 killing of a grizzly bear named Cheeky in British Columbia.
Stoner is charged with two counts of making a false statement to obtain a hunting license, one count of hunting without a license, one count of hunting wildlife out of season, and one count of unlawful possession of dead wildlife, according to The Vancouver Sun.
Stoner received immediate backlash when photos showed him holding the bear’s severed head and paws. He killed the 5-year-old grizzly in May 2013.
The bear was skinned and its carcass was left to rot in a field, according to The Sun report.
Stoner, who was born in British Columbia, was not living in the province at the time. He was a member of the Minnesota Wild.
According to The Sun, "The Wildlife Act defines resident hunters as Canadian citizens or permanent residents whose primary residences are in B.C. and who are physically present in B.C. the 'greater portion of each of six calendar months out of the 12 calendar months' preceding both their application for the hunt and the date of the actual hunt."
"All five charges are directly related to the residency requirement," Detective-Sergeant Cynthia Mann of the Conservation Officer Service's major investigation unit told The Sun.
Stoner is scheduled to appear in Vancouver provincial court on Oct. 9. His charges carry potential maximum fines of $50,000 to $250,000.
The Ducks' 2015-16 season begins Oct. 10 with a game at San Jose. Their home opener is Oct. 12 against the Vancouver Canucks.