EDMONTON — Nikolai Khabibulin’s blood-alcohol level exceeded the legal limit to the point where the Edmonton Oilers goaltender is also facing charges of extreme DUI.

If he is found guilty, he faces a minimum 30-day jail stay.

In Arizona, where he was arrested on Feb. 8, the driving under the influence charge is elevated to extreme when the blood alcohol level exceeds .15 per cent.

It is still considered a misdemeanour, not a felony, and according to the website dui.com/arizona, the court could suspend 20 of the 30 days if the offender agrees to undergo testing and submit to treatment. The maximum jail sentence is six months.

Khabibulin’s pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 16.

According to court documents, the extreme DUI is one of four charges he faces. The 37-year-old, arrested near his Paradise Valley home, has been charged with: a) DUI; b) DUI with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or more; c) exceeding the speed limit by 40-70 km/h; and d) extreme DUI, the latter of which also stipulates that the offender’s driver’s licence be revoked. In addition, an ignition interlock device is required.

This is not the first time Khabibulin has faced charges for a traffic violation. In 2006, according to the Arizona Judicial Branch, he was charged for failing to produce evidence of a financial responsibility requirement in 2006. In Arizona, all drivers must carry a minimum amount of liability insurance and they must produce such documents when registering a vehicle, or at the request of an officer at an accident or traffic stop.

There were also two cases registered in 2004, but both complaints were dismissed by the Scottsdale Municipal Court.

Allan Watt, the Oilers vice-president of communications and broadcast, said on Saturday that the club would not comment until the court process was completed.

The Oilers signed the goaltender to a four-year, $15-million U.S. contract in the off-season, but after playing just 18 games Khabibulin underwent season-ending back surgery. He is scheduled to report to the club’s medical staff in Edmonton by Monday, as is defenceman Sheldon Souray, who recently had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand.

jireland@thejournal.canwest.com