Caps cut Leipsic following comments

WINNIPEG The NHL player at the centre of a social media group chat that degraded women has been released by his team.

Brendan Leipsic played 61 games for the Washington Capitals this past season, but this week became embroiled in a firestorm of controversy which came to a head on Friday morning.

“The Washington Capitals have placed Brendan Leipsic on unconditional waivers for purposes of terminating his contract,” the NHL team said in a statement.

The move comes after the Capitals and NHL on Wednesday denounced the actions of players involved in an Instagram group chat that defiled and mocked women, referred to their conquests as “kills,” made fun of their shapes, and boasted of Leipsic’s use of cocaine.

“There is no place in our league for such statements, attitudes and behaviour, no matter the forum,” the NHL had said.

The chat, which dated back several months and was intended to be private, was made public by an anonymous Instagram user who wanted the women made aware of the misogynists involved in it.

The chat included Jack Rodewald, who played for Florida’s AHL team this past season, and Leipsic’s brother, Jeremey, who was released from the University of Manitoba Bisons hockey team on Thursday.

Two of the women targeted in the chat told Postmedia of the humiliation they faced when it became public.

“It’s very heartbreaking to see,” said Winnipeg ’s Chloe Giesbrecht, 24. “You see hockey on TV ... (players) signing hockey sticks and taking photos, but what are they doing behind all of that? They’re supposed to be role models, and this is the exact opposite. The exact opposite of what you would want your son to be like.”