Sens assistant GM to face Buffalo charge on June 22

Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee is scheduled to return to Buffalo city court to face a charge of seconddegree harassment on June 22, the same day as the first round of the National Hockey League draft.

Lee is accused of inappropriately touching and making lewd remarks toward a hotel shuttle driver while in Buffalo last week for the NHL scouting combine.

He was arrested and pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Friday and appeared again before Judge Amy C. Martoche on Monday. The court returned Lee’s Canadian passport, which he had been ordered to surrender after the hearing Friday.

The Senators issued a statement after the hearing Monday indicating that Lee would continue in his current role while the case went through the court process in Buffalo.

Lee also serves as GM of the Senators’ American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville and is conducting a search for a replacement for head coach Kurt Kleinendorst, whose contract was not renewed at the end of the season.

Lee was represented in court Monday by Justin D. Ginter, who declined to comment on his way out of the courthouse. Lee did not have a lawyer present at his arraignment on Friday.

Ginter is an associate of criminal defence attorney Paul J. Cambria, who previously represented Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt and NHL stars Patrick Kane and Evander Kane.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn also declined to comment Monday.

Flynn had detailed the charges at a media conference Friday.

The alleged incident occurred at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Flynn said. Lee was returning to the Westin from a downtown restaurant and bar, 716. The hotel is owned by Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and 716 is in the HarborCenter complex owned by Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula.

Flynn said Lee asked the 19-yearold male driver if he could sit in the front seat and the young man agreed he could.

“In the course of the drive back to the Westin Hotel, Mr. Lee allegedly put his hands on (the young man’s) shoulders and allegedly made some lewd comments,” Flynn said. “The young man told him to ‘stop’ and don’t touch him.

“Mr. Lee allegedly didn’t stop and put his hand back on his shoulders again and started rubbing his shoulders. The young man again told him to stop.”

The young man then made a complaint to police, who investigated.

“I normally don’t get into too many specifics about a pending matter, but, in this case, I will for two reasons: No. 1 because I don’t want the rumour mill out there to be unfair to Mr. Lee and what actually happened here, and No. 2 it’s just a violation. It’s not going to go before a jury,” Flynn told reporters at his downtown office on Friday.

If found guilty, Lee could face a fine and up 15 days in jail, although Flynn noted he wouldn’t seek jail time.