Few remember this troubled enforcer from the early 2000s. He was called up by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2001 after scoring 38 points in 38 games for their AHL affiliate. He never did much for the Penguins, besides sucker punching an opponent and being suspended by the NHL for it, but the fact that he even played in the NHL is a miraculous feat.
This is because in 1994 was charged and convicted for raping a 15-year old girl. Following this, he was arrested again for assault and battery with a BB gun, disorderly conduct and witness intimidation. Overall, Tibbetts served 39 months in prison.
Fortunately for him, after paying his dues in prison, he was given a second chance and was able to make a short NHL career out of it. An interesting twist in Tibbetts' story is that he was not able to play in any games in Canada because of his status as a sex offender in the country.
After a short stint with the New York Rangers in 2003, Tibbetts has gone on to play for the ECHL's San Diego Gulls, Las Vegas Wranglers, and Idaho Steelheads, the UHL's Rockford Icehogs, along with a variety of European teams.
Why it's ranked here: Tibbetts is obviously not the first athlete to be charged with sexual assault, but not many are found in the NHL. In recent history, Tibbetts is one to come in mind, but he's not a notable player so this is why he gets the tenth spot.
