Predators' Ribeiro to 'vigorously fight' nanny lawsuit, lawyer says

Nashville Predators forward Mike Ribeiro has had his career slowed by a rocky past that includes bouts with drugs and alcohol.

The latest challenge for the 35-year-old is a lawsuit recently brought to light by John Glennon of The Tennessean. 

The lawsuit was filed against Ribeiro and his wife by the couple's former nanny, who claims Ribeiro assaulted her in 2012 and is seeking more than $1 million. The lawsuit states that the nanny suffered unspecified injuries at the hands of Ribeiro and that his wife verbally attacked her.

Ribeiro's lawyer, Brian Lauten, had the following to say about the case:

In consideration of the people involved, especially the Ribeiro family, the National Hockey League and the Nashville Predators, I don’t plan to discuss the facts surrounding these allegations in public. I can say that the Ribeiros plan to vigorously fight this lawsuit.

The incident in question took place while Ribeiro was a member of the Dallas Stars, and the lawsuit comes as no shock to the player.

"It's not new news for me. For a lot of people it is, but it's been for a while now. So it's not a concern for me to try to get focused. I didn't have a bad game the last game because of it," Ribeiro said. "I'm really trying to get focused for tonight and helping the team get out of this slump. It's a big game for us and that's where my focus is." 

Ribeiro is having a turnaround season for Nashville with 52 points in 65 games for the Central Division-leading Predators.