National Hockey League defenceman Clayton Stoner of the Anaheim Ducks is facing five charges under the Wildlife Act related to the trophy hunting of a large male grizzly bear beloved by aboriginals on B.C.’s central coast.

The B.C.-born Stoner is charged with two counts of making a false statement to obtain a licence on May 22, 2013, as well as one count of hunting without a licence, one count of hunting wildlife out of season, and one count of unlawful possession of dead wildlife — the latter three offences allegedly taking place on May 28, 2013. Stoner is scheduled to appear in Vancouver provincial court on Oct. 9.

Stoner’s shooting of the five-year-old grizzly affectionately known as Cheeky draws immediate comparisons to the case of an American dentist charged with the illegal trophy hunting in July of a 14-year-old male lion named Cecil, outside Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park in Africa.

That killing earned international condemnation and refocused public attention on trophy hunting.

Detective-Sergeant Cynthia Mann of the Conservation Officer Service’s major investigation unit said in an interview Wednesday that 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.

The legal argument is that Stoner did not meet those conditions due to living out of the province as a professional hockey player. At the time of the hunt, Stoner played for the Minnesota Wild but joined Anaheim as a free agent in 2014. “All five charges are directly related to the residency requirement,” Mann said.

Anyone who cannot meet those criteria must pay to hunt with a licensed B.C. guide-outfitter — typically, about $25,000 US for a coastal grizzly. The charges carry potential maximum fines of $50,000 to $250,000.

Stoner said through the Anaheim head office Wednesday that he did not wish to comment.

Faisal Moola, a director general with the David Suzuki Foundation, said it is interesting that the province has charged Stoner for “bureaucratic reasons” while continuing to allow a cruel sport that is at odds with the “morals and ethics” of average British Columbians. Coastal First Nations also believe it is disrespectful and unethical to kill bears for trophies and not for food.

“The hunt is part and parcel of a very bloody, horrific, painful experience for the bears,” Moola said.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark has consistently refused to ban trophy hunting of grizzlies even though 87 per cent of British Columbians oppose the activity. Unlike the hunting of other game, there is no legal requirement under the Wildlife Act for hunters to remove edible portions of grizzly meat from the kill site.

Stoner, 30, hails from Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island. He played 69 games, had one goal and seven assists, and 68 penalty minutes playing for Anaheim during the 2014-15 season.