Los Angeles Kings assistant coach and former player Mark Hardy, 51, was arrested in Washington, D.C. early Friday, accused of felony sexually abusing a female relative.
Hardy's sexual assault charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony. He was taken into custody at around 2 a.m. at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D. C. . The complaint came from a woman in her 20s who claimed to be a relative of Hardy's.

The 51-year-old was released with conditions, including the surrender of his passport and a prohibition against having any physical, verbal or electronic contact with his accuser.
The woman said she and Hardy and several other people went to a bar just off of 19th Street to have some drinks. At around 1 a.m., they walked back to hotel, and she said she went into the bathroom to change into a T-shirt and shorts to go to bed. At some point, she said Hardy got in bed with her, and she woke up.

The police report states Hardy put his hand down her shorts. The woman told police that she and Hardy were very intoxicated, according to charging documents.

Hardy had a 15-year NHL playing career, which included two stints as a Kings defenseman. He was a member of the Kings team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. He returned to the Kings as an assistant coach in August 2008.

Hardy, a Swiss native, has two children, a daughter and a son, with his wife Kristina, according to Hardy's biography on the NHL Web site. They reportedly live in Manhattan Beach, California.

In a statement, the Kings organization said, "We are aware of the charge. Due to the legal nature of this matter, we will not have any additional comments at this time."
The 51-year-old was released with conditions, including the surrender of his passport and a prohibition against having any physical, verbal or electronic contact with the family member.