Ex-NHL tough guy Stephen Peat pleaded guilty to a charge of arson by negligence in Surrey Provincial Court on Sept. 2.
He was initially charged with arson in relation to an inhabited property, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Peat is scheduled to be in court for a pre-sentencing report on Nov. 18.
Peat, 35, surrendered to police on March 19, two days after a fire destroyed his father’s home in Brookswood.
He was kept in jail for two days and released.
He has been on bail ever since.
Fire broke out at Peat’s family home in the 4400 block of 208A Street just before 11 p.m. on March 17,
No one was injured in the blaze, which caused significant damage to the home.
Police were called when a passerby witnessed the arsonist as he was lighting the fire.
That witness attempted to thwart the arson but the fire had already taken hold, police said at the time.
Officers learned that a domestic dispute between the father and son in the home had taken place earlier that day, but was renewed later that evening.
The father had gone to bed for the night, and the basement tenant wasn’t home at the time the house was set ablaze. Langley RCMP put out a brief description of the suspect after the fire.
Peat, a right winger and tough guy, played for the BCHL Langley Thunder in 1994/95 before making the jump to major junior and the Western Hockey League, spending time with Red Deer, Tri-City and Calgary.
He played in 130 NHL games, all with Washington, registering eight goals and 10 points and 234 penalty minutes.
It appears he may have retired after a groin injury.
A friend of Peat contacted The Times shortly after the charges were laid, wanting to emphasize the point that there are two sides to the story.
The friend also said the former hockey player had the full support of his dad and family.
