Critical Notes

Carolina Hurricanes star Eric Staal and his brother, Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins, were arrested for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process at Eric Staal’s bachelor party at a Minnesota resort.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said the brothers were among 14 arrested last weekend after authorities received several complaints about “screaming, yelling and playing loud music” at the resort in northeastern Minnesota, about two hours from the Staals’ hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The sheriff said the group was warned multiple times before finally being ordered to leave the Lutsen Resort and Sea Villas in Lutsen, at which point the men gathered on a nearby highway and “began harassing motorists.” That’s when authorities arrested the group, around 4 a.m. Saturday.

“I didn’t expect it would be any more serious than it is - they’re noise violations,” said Rick Curran, the agent for both players.

Eric Staal, 22, is entering his fourth season with the Hurricanes. He is the highest-paid player on the team, making $4.5 million per season, and led the league in postseason scoring with 28 points during Carolina’s run to the Stanley Cup championship in 2006. He had 30 goals and 40 assists in the regular season last season.

Jordan Staal, 18, was also charged with underage drinking. A teammate of Sidney Crosby, he had 29 goals and 42 points and led the league with seven short-handed goals to make the NHL’s all-rookie team last season.

“I think that the incident itself is obviously regrettable and everyone involved is pretty embarrassed, as they should be,” Curran said. “It’s an unfortunate example of what can happen when you get 15, 20 people together and there’s loud noise.”

Curran said the brothers were among several partygoers who went to bed when authorities first gave the group a warning, and when authorities returned to kick the entire party out of the resort, they first had to wake the Staals up.

“What is unfortunate is at the end, the entire group was asked to leave the hotel, including Eric and Jordan and some of the others that had gone to bed when the first warnings came in,” Curran said. “They were asked to go to bed, and they did. … A couple of the kids kept going. That’s what caused the continued disturbance.”

Jordan Staal and the Penguins have Stanley Cup odds of 8/1 for the 2007-08 season; Carolina is a 35/1 long shot. The Bodog Sportsbook is your home for NHL odds.
PHOTO: Jordan Staal was charged with underage drinking at his brother’s bachelor party. (AI Wire photo)