<p>Atlanta Thrashers star Dany Heatley was sentenced Friday to three years of probation and ordered to give 150 public speeches about the dangers of speeding after pleading guilty to charges in the automobile death of a teammate.</p><p>In exchange for his plea, Heatley saw the only felony charge _ first-degree vehicular homicide _ dropped along with a charge of reckless driving.</p><p>"The mistake I made that night was speeding," Heatley said at his sentencing. "This mistake will stay with me the rest of my life."</p><p>Heatley, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide, driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain a lane and speeding for the Sept. 29, 2003, crash in Atlanta that killed 25-year-old Dan Snyder.</p><p>The state and defense did not have a binding agreement regarding what sentence Heatley would receive, leaving that issue up to the judge. Had Heatley not liked the sentence, he would not have been allowed to withdraw his guilty pleas.</p><p>If the case went to trial and Heatley was convicted on all counts, the hockey star would have faced up to 20 years in prison and fines totaling $5,000. Defense lawyers believe the plea allows Heatley, a Canadian citizen, to avoid any threat of deportation, and therefore should not affect his ability to play in the NHL. Prosecutors, however, said there is no guarantee.</p><p>The MVP of the 2003 NHL All-Star game, Heatley was driving his black Ferrari convertible on a curved road in a residential area when it ran into a brick pillar and iron fence. Authorities said Heatley had consumed some alcohol, but was not intoxicated.</p><p>Snyder, a passenger in the car, died after several days in a coma.</p><p>Prosecutor Shondeana Crews said police experts found Heatley was driving at least 82 mph. Defense attorney Ed Garland said one expert thought Heatley was driving only 55 mph. The speed limit was 35 mph.</p><p>Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes said he noted the discrepancies among speed estimates when agreeing to the plea.</p><p>Snyder's father, Graham, and brother, Jake, both testified about their loss but agreed they didn't want Heatley to go to jail or lose his hockey career over it. The judge took that into consideration in the sentencing.</p><p>"As a parent, it's hard to explain how you feel about losing your son. My pride in Dan was immeasurable," said Graham Snyder. "We will all miss him. So how do we move on from here? Forgiveness in our hearts has helped us move on. We forgive because Dany has shown remorse to our family."</p><p>Graham Snyder added that he wanted Heatley to continue playing professional hockey, adding that, "Dany has a burden that he will carry for the rest of his life."</p><p>Jake Snyder said in a statement that Heatley was someone his brother counted on.</p><p>"I know he never intended for this to happen. I don't want to see my friend go to prison, I know Dan would feel the same way," Jake Snyder said.</p><p>After Snyder's family spoke, the judge acknowledged their support for Heatley, though he added, "I don't know that I could do this if I were you." Even so, he imposed the sentence recommended by the state.</p><p>Under the terms of his probation, Heatley must give at least 50 public speeches each year about the dangers of speeding _ nearly one speech a week. The speeches must be conducted at schools, colleges and public events where young people will be in attendance. He also cannot drive except for work, medical purposes, going to the grocery store or for attending his speeches.</p><p>The judge also said the court will have to approve the type of car Heatley drives. The car cannot have more than six cylinders and will have a mechanism to prevent it from exceeding 70 mph.</p><p>District attorney Paul Howard said he thinks Heatley's sentence is fair. "This was a traffic-related incident," he said. "It was not an intentional incident."</p><p>Defense lawyer Garland said the families believe that justice was served by the plea and sentence.</p><p>"Yes, he was speeding, and he accepts responsibility for that," Garland said of Heatley.</p><p>Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said the team is glad the case is over.</p><p>"This has been a difficult time for everyone involved," Waddell told reporters. "We're very thankful to the legal community to allow Dany to remain with the Thrashers."</p><p>Heatley, who was born in Germany, was drafted by the Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2001-02 season.</p>
