NHL to Investigate Six Whalers After Brawl

Six Hartford Whalers--including captain Pat Verbeek and star rookie Chris Pronger--were suspended Friday for their involvement in a barroom brawl near Buffalo, N.Y., but the NHL promptly reversed the decision of team owner Richard Gordon.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman rescinded the suspensions, pending the outcome of an investigation that he ordered into the incident. His decision came hours after Gordon announced the suspensions.

“The reaction of the club was inappropriate and it was dealt with,” said Bob Goodenow, the NHL Players Assn. executive director who was in Buffalo Friday night to talk to the players.

The six players and two assistant coaches were involved in the brawl early Thursday--more than three hours after the team’s midnight curfew.

But Goodenow said there was no curfew on Wednesday night, “notwithstanding what the team said.”

Gordon called their actions embarrassing and repugnant when he announced their suspensions. He suspended Pronger for the rest of the season. Verbeek, Geoffrey Sanderson, Marc Potvin, Mark Janssen and Todd Harkins were to be suspended from Friday night’s game in Buffalo against the Sabres.

Assistant coaches Kevin McCarthy and Paul Gillis were suspended indefinitely. Their suspensions remained in effect, a spokesman for the Whalers said.

The six players and McCarthy were arrested at 3:55 a.m. after they got into a dispute with bouncers at Kelly’s Network, a bar owned by Buffalo Bill quarterback Jim Kelly. Gillis was not arrested, but he was present during the dispute.