NEW YORK, April 11 (UPI) -- The NHL and the Players' Association announced Friday that combustible winger Theo Fleury of the Chicago Blackhawks has been placed in Stage 3 of the league's substance abuse and behavioral health program.
Under terms of the joint program, Fleury will be suspended without pay for at least six months and then will be eligible to apply for reinstatement.
The Blackhawks signed Fleury to a two-year contract worth $8.5 million last August, but his stay in Chicago has been checkered almost from the start. He was suspended in September for violating the NHL's substance abuse aftercare program and did not make his Blackhawks' debut until Dec. 6.
Five weeks later, he and two teammates were involved in a highly publicized incident at a Columbus, Ohio night spot that forced the team to rework its travel plans for a seven-game road trip.
Fleury's struggles translated to the ice. He had just 12 goals goals and 21 assists in 54 games this past season.
Fleury came to Chicago after three turbulent seasons with the New York Rangers. He recorded his 400th goal, 600th assist and 1,000th point and played his 1,000th game while in New York.
But he also voluntarily checked himself into the NHL's substance abuse program on February 28, 2001 and missed the final 20 games of the 2000-01 season.
In 2001-02, Fleury played all 82 games and collected 24 goals and 39 assists for the Rangers. But he also had numerous run-ins with referees, stormed off the ice with eight minutes left in a game at Pittsburgh and had a highly publicized confrontation with the San Jose Sharks' mascot.
Listed at just 5-6 and 180 pounds, Fleury has 455 goals and 633 assists in 1,084 NHL games. He spent his first 10-plus seasons with the Calgary Flames, helping them capture the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 1989.
