Heatley Faces Indictment

Atlanta Thrasher star Dany Heatley was indicted Friday in Atlanta on vehicular homicide and five other charges in the 2003 wreck that killed his teammate.

Police estimated that Heatley was driving his black Ferrari convertible between 60 and 90 mph on a curved road in a residential area when it ran into a brick pillar and iron fence on Sept. 29, 2003.

Dan Snyder, 25, died after several days in a coma, and Heatley suffered a broken jaw and two torn ligaments in his knee. The Canadian citizen returned to play with the team in January.

“All of us have driven too fast at one time or another, but this case involves extreme speed,” county prosecutor Paul Howard said in announcing the indictment.

Heatley’s attorney, Ed Garland, said the case did not justify a homicide charge. “We don’t want any sentence that would put him in jail, destroy his career, or have him deported from the United States,” he said.

Garland said the defense wanted a chance to determine if the car Heatley drove had any mechanical defects.

Heatley, in Canada preparing for the season, was not immediately available for comment.

The Snyder family released a statement through the Thrashers saying that they continue to support Heatley.

There is no mandatory prison sentence for the crimes, giving the judge considerable discretion, Howard said. A probation sentence is one option, he added.

Howard said he would not seek to have Heatley taken into custody before a trial.

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Mighty Duck defenseman Ruslan Salei filed for arbitration, as the two sides remained far apart, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Salei, 29, is an eight-season veteran who earned $1.75 million last season. Arbitration hearings are scheduled for Aug. 1-15 in Toronto.

The Ducks signed second-year center Michael Holmqvist, 25, to a one-year contract.

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The Kings have signed Brad Smyth, 30, a right wing who played for the Kings from 1996 to 1998 and hasn’t played in the NHL since 2002-03. He had 20 goals and 18 assists in 48 regular-season games last season with Karpat of the Finnish Elite League.

The Kings also signed defenseman Mike Weaver, 26, who had three goals and 14 assists in 78 games last season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Times staff writers Mike Bresnahan and Chris Foster contributed to this report.