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Chicago Blackhawks, Devante Smith-Pelly, Dustin Byfuglien, Johnny Oduya, Ray Emery, Washington Capitals
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA I just want to drop a few names on the Chicago Blackhawks “fans” who had their butts not-so-surgically removed from their United Center seats Saturday for allegedly hurling racist taunts at Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly.
Dirk Graham, Johnny Oduya, Dustin Byfuglien, Ray Emery, Jamal Mayers, and Trevor Daley.
These are black players or players of African descent who skated for the team that you root for – or rooted for before Blackhawks management ejected you from fairly high-priced seats for supposedly directing racial remarks toward Smith-Pelly.
Black players helped make the Blackhawks winners and hoist Stanley Cups.
Oduya was a mainstay on defense on the ‘Hawks 2012-13 and 2014-15 championship teams. Emery was the solid backup goaltender for the 2012-13 Cup winner. Mayers, a forward, added defensive toughness to that team for 19 regular season games that season.
And Byfuglien was a disruptive power forward that the Philadelphia Flyers struggled to control in the 2009-10 Stanley Cup Final.
Former Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery.
Graham was a gritty heat-and-soul captain of a Blackhawks teams that were competitive. He even scored a hat trick in Game 4 in the 1992 Stanley Cup Final won by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
These are all men of color who played for your team. For. Your. Team.
Imagine if Oduya, Byfuglien, and Emery adhered to the taunts aimed at Smith-Pelly and they played for, say, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks instead of the NHL’s Blackhawks?
The idea that you could be shocked and appalled in this day and age at the sight of a black guy being on the ice or in the penalty box at a hockey game means you either don’t know your own team or that Smith-Pelly’s skin simply got under yours.
Devante Smith-Pelly on the incident last night in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Oz9qfFWMQH
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 18, 2018
Either way, it wasn’t a good look. I wonder what recently-acquired Blackhawks forward Anthony Duclair must be thinking after watching those home “fans” giving an opposing minority player the business by using race as a weapon.
Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya.
Kudos to the management of the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals and National Hockey League for taking swift action on this ugly incident.
Captials Head Coach Barry Trotz was right when he said “There is absolutely no place in the game of hockey or our country for racism.”
“It just shows ignorance,” he added.
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Dirk Graham also played and coached the Blackhawks
I would like to say that as a Blackhawks fan and military veteran who has been supported by the Chicago Blackhawks they treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Wow. Great story on a detestable act. Nice work!
Thanks for writing this but how about a shoutout to Jamal Mayers?
Noticed that this seems to be a common occurrence in the U.S….very seldom does this occurs up in Canada, but for players of color coming from Canada to the U.S., this is another issue that they have to deal with……nothing will ever change in this country, especially racism.