Ovi Breaks the Record; Now, Let’s Talk About OVI

"Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!"

That’s what the fans were chanting at UBS Arena when Alex Ovechkin rocketed in goal number 895 on Sunday, officially breaking Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record for the most goals in NHL history.

And if you’re prepping for the bar exam, Ovi’s achievement gives us the perfect hook to talk about O.V.I. — Operating a Vehicle under the Influence.

See what I did there?

Alex Ovechkin is now hockey’s all-time goal-scoring leader, and he did it cleanly—with grit, grace, and zero penalties for intoxicated driving.

www.nhl.com

In bar prep and real life, the acronym OVI (used in states like Ohio) refers to operating a vehicle under the influence. And one of the trickiest issues in OVI/DUI law is whether police can administer a chemical test without a warrant.

That question reached the U.S. Supreme Court in Birchfield v. North Dakota (2016). And much like hockey, the result came down to contact, control, and consent.

Here’s the rule you need to know:

✅ Breath tests can be given without a warrant after a lawful arrest for suspected intoxicated driving.

❌ Blood tests require a warrant (unless exigent circumstances apply).

Why? The Court balanced the government's interest in combating drunk driving against your Fourth Amendment rights.

Breath tests are minimally invasive: they require only a puff of air and leave behind no physical evidence.

Blood tests, on the other hand, involve piercing the skin and collecting a biological sample that can later reveal more than just blood alcohol content.

The Court’s reasoning: If you can get the evidence you need through a less intrusive means, you must.

Now let’s all raise a (non-alcoholic) toast to Ovi, and stay sharp on OVI law, too.