East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) officials suspended Jacksonville Icemen defenseman Jacob Panetta indefinitely on Sunday following an incident involving Carolina Stingrays defenseman Jordan Subban. from South.
League officials announced a collective bargaining hearing into Panetta’s actions in Jacksonville’s 1-0 overtime victory on Saturday.
During overtime, Subban, who is black, attempted to engage Panetta, who reportedly responded with a racially charged taunt.
After the game, on his Twitter account, Jordan Subban called Panetta a “coward”. In his tweet, he added that as soon as he started to turn his back on her, Panetta started making “monkey gestures” in her direction. Subban responded by punching him several times in the face, he also wrote.
Later Sunday, Icemen leaders announced that Panetta was to be released. “To be clear, our core values as an ownership group include love and zero tolerance for racism or any other form of hatred against any group,” said Andy Kaufman, President and the team’s chief executive, in a statement. Earlier Sunday, Icemen executives said they are collaborating in the incident review process.
PK Subban, Jordan’s older brother, shared the video of Panetta’s alleged taunt. On his Instagram account, he vigorously criticized Panetta and paid tribute to his brother’s teammates for the support they showed him.
Rob Concannon, president of the Stingrays, has indicated that his organization remains firmly loyal to his player. “The South Carolina Stingrays are disgusted and appalled by the incident,” he said in a statement. “Our organization supports our friend and teammate, Jordan, and all other players who continue to face racism and discrimination. »