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NHL 08 cover athlete arrested

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Jul 26, 2007 4:51 pm PT

Carolina Hurricanes center picked up for disorderly conduct after his weekend bachelor party.

Carolina Hurricanes center and NHL 08 cover athlete Eric Staal was among 14 revelers arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in Minnesota this weekend after police were repeatedly called to his bachelor party, according to a Canadian Press report.

Early Saturday morning, police were called to the Lutsen Resort and Sea Villas, where they warned a group of "approximately 20 people screaming, yelling, and playing loud music" that they had to keep it down or face being kicked off the property, arrested, and possibly even deported. Staal's agent said the skater complied with the police request and went to bed, but was removed from the hotel regardless.

Hours later, a group of partygoers who'd been removed from the property started harassing people driving by on a nearby highway, authorities said. That's when the police returned and arrested 14 men for disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process.

Staal was neither the only NHLer nor the only member of his family arrested. Pittsburgh Penguins forward and younger brother Jordan Staal was also picked up by police and charged with consumption of alcohol while under 21 years of age.

This is not the first time an EA cover athlete has run afoul of the law after being named to the hockey series' cover. In September 2003, then-Atlanta Thrashers star and NHL 2004 cover athlete Dany Heatley was behind the wheel in a high-speed single-car accident that killed his passenger and teammate Dan Snyder. He was pulled from the cover spot midseason and replaced with Colorado Avalanche franchise player Joe Sakic.

Commenting on the incident, an EA representative told GameSpot, "We are aware of the situation and are still in the process of gathering information." The representative also passed along a comment from Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford, who said, "Based on the limited information that I have, this does not seem like something that will require any action on our part. We will continue to monitor the situation, but I don't see it being an issue that affects us as it stands now."

162 Comments

  • SchockWave

    Posted Sep 18, 2007 5:10 am PT

    i see some of your points but from what the article says is that staal went to bed, so how can he be held accountable for the stupidity of others? i don't get how you can arrest and charge him for doing what the police said.

  • Blake181

    Posted Aug 21, 2007 12:25 pm PT

    they should put a goalie on the front, like Cam Ward or Emry

  • whippet9

    Posted Aug 21, 2007 1:25 am PT

    forget staal, only the best american born player ever, mike modano would look good on that cover. go STARS!!!!

  • Lightz39

    Posted Aug 2, 2007 10:28 pm PT

    We don't want Sundin on the cover Maslowo its a curse.

  • hockey15LSW

    Posted Aug 2, 2007 6:09 am PT

    pull stall off put kovalchuck on the cover go THRASHERS

  • Neo9898_98

    Posted Aug 1, 2007 7:17 am PT

    I find it absolutely hillarious that you can't drink until you are 21 in Min. Poor American's.

  • melo_211

    Posted Jul 30, 2007 5:07 pm PT

    Everyone makes mistakes, Heatley's was a lot bigger then this one from Staal, I don't think pulling him off 08's cover is necessary at all. Good job EA.

  • geomyr

    Posted Jul 29, 2007 8:29 pm PT

    i dont care about his stupid actions im a sharks fan anyway, if he is guilty then remove him from the games cover.

  • Maslowo

    Posted Jul 29, 2007 8:05 pm PT

    Put Sundin on the cover. Go Leafs! GO!

    ...Kidding it should be Crosby on the cover everyone knows that. However, nobody gives a **** about hockey south of the boarder, so EA can't afford to put Crosby on.

  • Lightz39

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 8:12 pm PT

    lol, i agree stupid....who cares, why is this in the news. Im pretty sure they are just trying to mess up some careers.

  • garrettm

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 7:02 pm PT

    This is a joke. The guy got drunk and was too loud. Since when is that considered a crime? Hell, if that's a crime then everyone I know over the age of 17 should have been arrested at some point in their lives. He didn't drink and drive, assault someone, do drugs or anything else serious. He's 22 and getting married, cut the guy a break!

  • stewart24

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 6:25 pm PT

    lets see Lidstrom on it

  • Packt

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 5:36 am PT

    Pwnt.

  • PapaGlide

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 12:23 am PT

    way to go

  • stziggy

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 9:52 pm PT

    If Eric Stael is found guilty, he should be removed.

  • simulation

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 4:13 pm PT

    I hope he deos get taken off, there are more deserving players

  • foolwestcoast33

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 2:10 pm PT

    its hockey everybody gets arrested

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 1:21 pm PT

    I'm guessing that he will be taken off of the cover.

  • ReaperXxxx

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 1:13 pm PT

    All this means is that his bachelor party was one hell of a time! Simon Gagne should be on the cover anyway.

  • jcarlos11

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 1:10 pm PT

    The cover of the game should have been awarded to Giguere....

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