"I want to apologize to my family, my friends, our fans and the entire Flames family for what took place this past Wednesday night," Sutter, 23, said in a statement issued by the team. "My background is one of hard work and respect so this incident is totally out of character for me.
"I have set the wrong example not only for children who love the Flames and hockey but also for my brother who has been such a great example for me. I want to thank everyone for their support and wisdom over the past few days. It has been especially difficult because of the type of person I really am and will continue to be. Thank you."
The alleged incident took place while the Flames were in Phoenix to play the Coyotes.
Sutter is the son of Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter, the nephew of Coach Brent Sutter and the eighth member of the family to play in the NHL. He has appeared in just four games this season, logging one assist, and has been idle since Oct. 16.
Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).