McCarthy was charged with trespassing and faces a court hearing.
The players must return to Buffalo within a year to do community service at youth organizations, City Court Judge Margaret Murphy said.
Kevin Maxwell, the Whalers' player personnel director, said he could not comment on whether the team would discipline the players.
"I'd like to apologize both to the city of Buffalo and the Buffalo Police Department for this incident," Maxwell said. "We're embarrassed by it. I certainly don't condone the actions of our players."
McCarthy and the players, in Buffalo for tonight's game against the Sabres, were at Kelly's Network nightclub and apparently refused to leave when bouncers asked them to get out about 3:15 a.m., police said.
The bar called police, and at least eight officers went to the scene, said Rocco Diina, deputy police commissioner. The players scuffled with police and bouncers, but Diina said he did not believe punches were thrown.
The officers were trying to avoid a fight because they knew they were dealing with athletes, Rocco said.
"They're pretty big boys," Diina said. "Somebody might have been really hurt."
The Buffalo News quoted an unidentified witness who said the fight was provoked at least partly by bouncers, who began pushing customers around.
"Fists were flying," the witness said. "It was like a bench-clearing brawl."
Bar manager David Salisbury would not comment.
"Our lips are sealed," he said.
In other news:
DRAFT: LOTTERY FORMAT
The NHL adopted a lottery for its annual entry draft, beginning with the 1995 draft, in order to prevent teams from deliberately losing in order to pick up the top draft pick.
