KHABIBULIN HEARS HIS FATE TUESDAY

Nikolai Khabibulin won’t have to wait very long to find out the legal price he’ll pay for his DUI and related convictions today — the Edmonton Oilers goaltender will be sentenced in Arizona Tuesday.

Following the handing down of the sentence, Oilers GM Steve Tambellini will make himself available for comment. Here’s the release from the Oilers: "The Edmonton Oilers acknowledge and respect the decision handed down today by the Scottsdale City Court to goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

Both Nikolai and the Oilers organization recognize the severity of what has transpired. We plan on meeting with Nikolai, his agent and the National Hockey League in the near future.

"Once sentencing has been imposed on Tuesday, August 31st, Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini will be available to the media."

Let the guessing about the length of Khabibulin’s sentence — and the opportunistic cries for the Oilers to seek to void his contract — begin.

We’ll bring you Tambellini’s news conference Tuesday.