Boston Bruins denounce racist remarks directed at Canadiens' P.K. Subban
WILMINGTON, Mass. -- The Boston Bruins made their point loud and clear Friday: They in no way support any sort of racist remarks or behavior from fans.
Shortly after Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban scored the game-winning goal in Thursday night’s Stanley Cup playoff series opener, some so-called Bruins fans took to Twitter and other social media outlets to spew racist comments.
Those hateful remarks aren’t a reflection of the Bruins, and the team hammered that point home Friday.
“The racist, classless views expressed by an ignorant group of individuals following Thursday’s game via digital media are in no way a reflection of anyone associated with the Bruins organization,” Bruins president Cam Neely said in a statement released by the team. The Bruins held an optional skate at Ristuccia Arena, and the social media postings certainly were a big topic of discussion.
“I share the thoughts of Cam and the organization. It’s just poor judgment, poor taste, and we don’t associate ourselves with people like that,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “People who act that way are not what we call our fans. They may think they are, but we certainly don’t support that.
“It’s a shame that this is still going around in this day and age that people are still thinking that way. For us, it’s a shame. As I mentioned, it’s certainly not getting our support on that one.”
Bruins captain Zdeno Chara echoed the stance of the team’s president and the head coach.
“It’s very disappointing,” Chara said. “There’s no room in the game for these kind of comments or Twitter (comments), for sure. It’s not anything to do with our organization or the way we feel. P.K. is obviously a very good player and the face of the Montreal Canadiens organization, and for sure, (the comments are) very disappointing. Like I said, there’s no room for comments or action like this in any kind of game or sports or anywhere else.”
Bruins winger Brad Marchand agreed.
“It’s very disappointing about the things said on Twitter,” Marchand said. “There’s no need at any point or time to be racist, and obviously no one in this room or this organization feels that way. It’s very disappointing. Obviously we have to apologize for that coming from our fans. Hopefully there will be no more of that stuff.”
His play has hurt Boston over the years and he's long been unpopular there. He was booed virtually every time he touched the puck Thursday night.
Subban's brother, Malcolm, is a goalie with the Bruins' minor league affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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