Former NHL player William T. Tibbetts is currently facing serious legal issues. According to reports, Tibbetts was detained on March 17 after a warrant was issued for his arrest in Plains Township, Pennsylvania.
As per reports, Tibbetts has been accused of harassing Scituate’s former police chief, W. Michael Stewart. He has since pleaded not guilty in court. The 51-year-old has denied all charges, including two cases dating back to 2021 involving alleged violations of a protective order.
Tibbetts has had prior legal issues. According to past reports, a complaint was filed against him in 1992, when he was 17 years old, involving allegations of sexual assault of a minor. W. Michael Stewart was involved in the investigation at the time. Court proceedings in that case resulted in Tibbetts being placed on probation and later serving time in prison.
According to records, after getting released, William T Tibbetts has had frequent encounters with Stewart. The former police officer has claimed that Tibbetts had issued threats to him and his family. He claimed that the hockey player was seeking vengeance because of Stewart’s inquiry into the 1992 case.
Court records even suggest that Tibbetts once contacted Steward’s children and informed them that their father was about to commit suicide. Not only that, but the ex-NHL player pursued the former Police Chief on social media after he retired in 2020. Tibbetts claimed that Stewart had framed him in the 1992 case, ruining his life.
When did William T Tibbetts play in the NHL?
William T. Tibbetts’s hockey career was significantly impacted by his 1992 case, which delayed his path to professional hockey. He entered the professional ranks after playing junior hockey, signing with the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL for the 1995–96 season. He later signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 13, 2000, after serving a prison sentence.
He had his breakthrough during the 2000–01 season, when the Penguins gave him an opportunity at the NHL level. At the time, Pittsburgh was one of the league’s top teams, featuring stars such as Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.
Tibbetts played 24 games that season and scored one goal and three assists. He was primarily deployed as a physical winger. Despite his strong performance, the Penguins waived him, and he was later acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers the following season (2001-2002).
William T Tibbetts only appeared in 12 games for the Flyers, and was used as an enforcer on the rink. Later in the 2002-2003 season, he became a part of the New York Rangers.
Tibbetts played 41 games for the Rangers that season, scoring only one goal and four assists. After that, he returned to the minor leagues and later became a journeyman playing across Europe.
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