VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Anaheim Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner has been charged with illegally shooting a grizzly bear in British Columbia.

He is to appear in court in Vancouver on Oct. 9, the day before the Ducks open the season and three days before his team plays the Vancouver Canucks in Anaheim.

He is accused of two counts of knowingly making a false statement to obtain a hunting license. Court documents show the statements were made in his hometown of Port McNeill in May 2013, when he played for the Minnesota Wild.

Stoner faces separate counts of hunting out of season, hunting without a license and unlawfully possessing dead wildlife related to the shooting of a bear near Bella Bella.

Stoner has never denied the hunt, which drew attention when an online picture showed him holding the severed head of a grizzly. He said he had the necessary permits and licenses.