(Chicago) Chicago Wolves head coach Bob Nardella denied making homophobic comments toward an American Hockey League (AHL) official on Wednesday, the day after announcing his 10-game suspension .
In a statement released Tuesday, the AHL explained that it was suspending Nardella because he allegedly made homophobic remarks toward an official during the third period of the game between his team and the Texas Stars on Saturday. This situation immediately earned him a punishment of extreme party misconduct for verbal abuse towards an official.
The league, however, did not specify the exact words Nardella said during the event that earned him this 10-game suspension, limiting itself to talking about “homophobic language.”
On Wednesday, Nardella issued his own press release to address this situation. Although he admitted to having lost his calm, he “firmly denied” having made homophobic comments.
The coach added that he condemns any homophobic comments or gestures and that he has great respect for the league and its officials.
The Wolves, who are not affiliated with an NHL team, will face the Stars again on Saturday.
