Saturday, four fans in Chicago were ejected from the Capitals-Blackhawks game after chanting racial taunts towards Washington forward Devante Smith-Pelly.
Monday, the Blackhawks released a statement on the incident, announcing that they had reached out to the four individuals involved in the incident and let them know that they were officially banned from attending home games. On top of that, the Blackhawks also reminded their fans of the "Fan Assist Program," a tool that is available to fans at the United Center in the case that they witness inappropriate behavior.
“We have contacted the select individuals involved in the incident on Saturday to notify them that they are no longer welcome at our home games. Racist comments and other inappropriate behavior are not tolerated by the Chicago Blackhawks. We have reached out to Devante Smith-Pelly and the Washington Capitals organization to extend our apologies.
As a reminder to our fans, if inappropriate behavior is observed at the United Center, please use the “Fan Assist Program” to alert security by texting the following to 69050: UCASSIST <SPACE> followed by the seating section, row and a brief description of the issue."
It's a strong statement by the Blackhawks, showing that racism cannot and will not be tolerated. Both Wayne Simmonds and J.T. Brown commented on the incident following Saturday's game, expressing their disappointment, while also standing strong and reinforcing that hockey is for everyone.
