Fans tossed for racial taunts banned from Chicago arena

CHICAGO — The racial taunts four fans directed at the Capitals’ Devante Smith-pelly on Saturday night at the United Center left the Blackhawks forward Anthony Duclair disappointed but “not really shocked.”

“Happens so often, not only in hockey, not only in sports, but in society as a whole,” Duclair said Monday before the Hawks faced the Kings at the United Center. “You’d think there would be some change after some years, especially (after the NHL) came out with the ad, ‘Hockey Is for Everyone.’

“How do I feel? … If they were Blackhawks fans, they would know there’s a black player on their team. These four people think a certain way, and it’s not just those four people. It’s a lot more. There’s a lot more racism than you guys think that’s going on.”

A Hawks official said Monday afternoon that the four people who were ejected Saturday no longer are welcome to attend games at the United Center.

“Racist comments and other inappropriate behavior are not tolerated by the Chicago Blackhawks,” a team statement said.

Duclair, the only black player on the Hawks and one of fewer than 30 in the NHL, said he endured his fair share of such taunts while growing up, including name-calling and gestures directed at him.

He said he didn’t feel he had the voice then to speak out and kept the taunts mostly to himself.

Duclair said he felt comfortable saying every black NHL player had been subjected to “some sort of racism.”