Chicago Wolves head coach Bob Nardella suspended 10 games for homophobic slur
A minor league coach is going to be off the bench for nearly a month after an abusive remark.
On Tuesday, the American Hockey League (AHL) announced that Chicago Wolves’ head coach Bob Nardella has been suspended for 10 games as a consequence of his actions during the Wolves’ game on Dec. 9 against the Texas Stars.
At the 8:48 mark of the third period, Nardella was handed a game misconduct for abuse of officials. It later came out that the first-year head coach used homophobic language.
In a release, the AHL stated that the league “is committed to building a culture that is safe, inclusive and free from abuse, harassment and all forms of unethical behavior or misconduct.”
Chicago Wolves head coach Bob Nardella has been suspended for 10 games as a consequence of his actions in Saturday’s game at Texas.https://t.co/VvoT1x8oJT
— AHL Communications (@AHLPR) December 12, 2023
Nardella, who served as an assistant coach with the Wolves from 2014 to 2023, is allowed to participate in team practices on non-game days. He will not be allowed to return to Chicago’s bench until their Jan. 6 game against the Tucson Roadrunners.
The league also announced that Wolves’ forward Dominic Franco has also been suspended for a game for abuse of officials during Chicago’s 8-5 loss to the Stars on Saturday. The suspension to Franco was automatic, as it was the second game misconduct for “abuse of officials” this season. He will miss the Wolves’ game on Tuesday night against the Iowa Wild.
Franco has spent his entire career in the minors, making stops in Rochester and Charlotte before signing with the Wolves this season. In 124 AHL games, the former West Point (NCAA) product has scored eight goals and 16 assists, with 148 penalty minutes.
Before becoming a coach, Nardella played 476 games with Wolves, dating back to the franchise’s days in the defunct International Hockey League, scoring 298 points and registering 331 PIM.
It has been a tough season for the Wolves (5-13-1-1), who are participating as independent team after three seasons affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes. They are last in the Central Division with 12 points, with the second-worst winning percentage in the AHL (.300)