2 NHL players jailed after early-morning purse theft

TAMPA --  A pair of professional hockey players were jailed early this morning after police said one of them stole a woman's purse at a South Tampa night club.

Ryan David O'Bryne, 23 (far left), a defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens, was charged with felony grand theft after police said he swiped a woman's cell phone and purse from the Whiskey Park bar, 720 S Howard Ave., about 3:10 a.m.

O'Bryne told police the items belonged to his girlfriend, but "he could not name whose purse it was" while detained outside the bar, according to an arrest report.

The report shows that Thomas Kostopoulos (right), who plays right wing for the Canadiens, and several other players were ordered to step away from the cruiser that held O'Bryne. Kostopoulos, 29, left but returned a few minutes later and was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer without violence.

Police said the purse and cell phone were valued at $645. All but $20 was recovered, the report shows.

Jail records show that both men posted bail and were released from jail just before 8:30 a.m.

O'Bryne recently rejoined the team after a three-day stint with the team's minor league circuit squad in Hamilton, Ontario. According to the team's Web site, he was scheduled to join the team for the upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In an unrelated incident at the club, a former player in the National Basketball Association and Lakeland resident was arrested on misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident in which deputies say he punched a staffer at the bar.

Alvin Robert Jones, 29, 5807 Deer Tracks Trail, was charged with disorderly conduct, simple battery and resisting arrest without violence against a Whiskey Park employee. After Jones was handcuffed and placed in the back of a cruiser, a Tampa police report shows the 6-foot-11, 265-pound Jones began kicking the cruiser's doors and windows before he was hauled to jail in leg restraints.

Jail record show Jones posted his $1,250 bail and was released this morning.

The NBA Web site shows Jones played with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001-2002 season, when he played in 23 games and averaged 1.1 point per game.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Booking photos courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office