Carolina Hurricanes Tickets
The 29-year-old O'Neill was arrested just after 1 a.m. near his home in Raleigh. He was also charged with failing to stop for a stop sign and transporting an open container of alcohol.
The arresting officer saw O'Neill urinate in the parking lot of a shopping center and then drive past a stop sign without stopping. The officer detected a "strong odor of alcohol" when he stopped O'Neill, according to court papers. O'Neill refused a chemical analysis test of his blood-alcohol level, according to an affidavit.
O'Neill's driver's license has been revoked for 30 days, an automatic penalty in North Carolina for suspected drunken drivers. He was also charged in 1998 with drunken driving but was found not guilty, according to court records.
O'Neill was released from jail at 7:30 a.m. Saturday after signing a written promise to appear in court May 6, court records show.
Hurricanes spokesman Kyle Hanlin said late Saturday when contacted by the Associated Press that team officials had decided not to comment on O'Neill's arrest.
Earlier in the day, Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford described the incident as a "serious allegation."
"Without having any more information and talking to the people involved at this time, I will let the legal process take care of this unfortunate situation," Rutherford told The News & Observer of Raleigh.
Team managers have no official contact with O'Neill or any of the players because of the lockout that canceled the 2004-05 season.
O'Neill had more than 60 points and led the Hurricanes in goals each season from 1999-2003. He was an All-Star in 2003, but scored just 14 goals in 2003-04 before season-ending surgery to repair a tear in his right shoulder.