Ex-UND hockey star Finley arrested, accused of trashing street

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: July 22, 2009 - 11:45 PM

A former hockey star for the University of North Dakota and Edina High School has been arrested, along with a current UND hockey player, on suspicion of throwing so many objects from a residential garage that traffic had to be halted on the Grand Forks street.

Defenseman Joe Finley, 22, and forward Matt Frattin, 21, were arrested by campus police at about 3 a.m. Tuesday at Finley's home and accused of disorderly conduct. Finley also is accused of giving police false information. Frattin, of Edmonton, also is accused of fleeing police. All allegations are misdemeanors.

"Alcohol was involved," UND Police Capt. Wayne Onger said this morning.

As for why the two littered the street with a lawnmower, kitchen table, glassware and other items of their own, Onger said, "They provided an answer that they routinely destroy each other's property."

Onger said the objects blocked Columbia Road, a main thoroughfare, requiring a street crew to clean up the debris before traffic could flow again.

Both were booked at the Grand Forks County jail and then released on cash bond (Finley, $300; Frattin, $600) shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Finley was a first-round NHL draft selection of the Washington Capitals in 2005. He played four seasons for the Fighting Sioux, collecting seven goals and 28 assists in 154 career games while being a physical presence with his 6-foot-7, 245-pound frame. In high school, he played two seasons at Edina, then left before his junior season for junior hockey.

In April, Finley signed a two-year contract with Washington and was assigned to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.

Just a week before his arrest, while attending the Capitals' development camp, Finley listed for reporters what his experience at UND meant to him: "The maturity that North Dakota gave me, to understand time management, living on your own, all of those things."

Frattin was North Dakota's third-leading scorer last season as a sophomore with 13 goals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

--Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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