Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo isn't worried about overcoming the absence of assistant Darryl Sydor from a hockey perspective.
Yeo's primary concern rests with his friend, as Sydor was arrested for drunken driving with his 12-year-old son in the car last week. Yeo was aware that Sydor was in treatment for alcoholism last summer before his latest setback, which saw the latter fail field sobriety tests with a reported blood-alcohol level of 0.30 - which was more than four times the legal limit.
"He was great last year," Yeo told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Unfortunately he had a setback here, but I know he can get back to where he was last year. We just want to do everything we can to support him and give him a chance to get better."
The Wild have yet to comment on when - or if - Sydor will return to the team, although Yeo believes he will be behind the bench this season. For now, Yeo's only concerned about the health and well-being of his friend.
"My only focus is Darryl getting better right now," Yeo told the newspaper. "We care about him. I know he's a good person. This is obviously a very big mistake and a real tough thing for him and his family, so I just want to be there for them right now."
Sydor voluntarily entered the NHL/NHL Players' Association Substance Abuse/Behavioral Health Program on Monday in Malibu, Calif. Sydor, who will have an arraignment on Oct. 12, could be sentenced to as long as one year in jail.
(h/t Minneapolis Star Tribune)
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