NHL decries ‘abhorrent’ racist incidents in the minor leagues

January 23, 2022:

The NHL decried the recent racist incidents that occurred in the American Hockey League and the ECHL over the course of the week, and the minor leagues are addressing both incidents that occurred on the ice.

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The NHL released a statement on the incidents.
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file)

“Incidents of racism, whether they occur in hockey or anywhere else, are abhorrent. The NHL will continue to make its resources available to the hockey ecosystem to educate and inform, with the goal of making the game welcoming and safe for all players and fans,” the league said.

In the AHL, San Jose Barracuda forward Krystop Hrabik was suspended 30 games after he made a racist gesture toward Tucson Roadrunners winger Boko Imama. Hrabik was accused of taunting Imama by imitating a monkey, according to ESPN. Imama is Black.

“The AHL stands with Boko Imama,” AHL president and CEO Scott Howson said in a statement. “It is unfair that any player should be subjected to comments or gestures based on their race; they should be judged only on their ability to perform as a player on the ice, as a teammate in the locker room and as a member of their community.”

The AHL logo on a referee jersey on Oct. 15, 2021, in Montreal, Canada.
(Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Hrabik apologized Friday night, saying he didn’t mean for his gesture to come off as racist and “I realize now through my own ignorance how my gesture could be interpreted.”

In the ECHL, Jacksonville Icemen defenseman Jacob Panetta was indefinitely suspended after he was accused of making a racist taunt toward South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Jordan Subban, who is the brother of NHL star P.K. Subban.

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Jordan Subban, who is Black, said he was trying to engage in a fight with Panetta during a skirmish between the two teams but the defenseman started making “monkey gestures at me.”

The Icemen announced Sunday that Panetta would be released.

“To be clear, our core values as an ownership group include one love and zero tolerance for racism or any other forms of hate against any group whatsoever. The platform that is the Jacksonville Icemen is one that is more than just about hockey to us as a group. It is about using this platform to spread not only our love for hockey but our love for the community and for each other,” Jacksonville CEO Andy Kaufmann said.

“Though the investigation and review is ongoing at the league level, the Jacksonville Icemen will be releasing the player involved effective immediately and will continue our mission of sharing our love of community and hockey. On behalf of the entire Icemen organization, we apologize to any one who was offended and look forward to beginning the process of healing together as one. Thank you.”

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The ECHL was reviewing the incident.

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