Caps’ Smith-Pelly calls Chicago fans’ words ‘ disgusting’

BUFFALO, N.Y. — This wasn’t the first time Devante SmithPelly has had racial taunts directed at him during a hockey game.

And the Washington Capitals forward knew immediately what the intent of the message was when a few fans began chanting “basketball, basketball, basketball,” while Smith-Pelly sat in the penalty box during a 7-1 loss at Chicago on Saturday night. SmithPelly, a black player in a sport dominated by white athletes, heard a similar taunt years before while playing in a tournament in British Columbia.

“It’s pretty obvious what that means. It’s not really a secret,” Smith-Pelly said after the Capitals practiced in Buffalo on Sunday. “Whether it’s that word or any other word, I got the idea. And I’m sure they got the idea, too. Just one word, and that’s really all it takes.”

What stunned the 25-year-old is how incidents such as these keep happening.

“It’s disgusting,” Smith-Pelly said. “You’d think there would be some sort of change or progression, but we’re still working toward it, I guess, and we’re going to keep working toward it.”

The Blackhawks and United Center officials reacted swiftly by ejecting four fans shortly after an off-ice official sitting next to Smith-Pelly — serving a fighting major for a scrap with Chicago’s Connor Murphy — notified building security.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement Sunday, saying the league condemns the fans’ behavior as being “unacceptable and reprehensible.”

“While this was isolated in nature, no player, coach, official or fan should ever have to endure such abuse at one of our games,” Bettman said.

The Capitals released a statement saying they are “extremely disappointed by the intolerant behavior” by a select group of fans in Chicago.

In thanking the Blackhawks and arena security, the Capitals said: “It is crucial to confront such appalling conduct.”

The Blackhawks issued a statement apologizing to SmithPelly and the Capitals following the game, and said they “are committed to providing an inclusive environment.”

Video shows SmithPelly seated in the penalty box while looking and pointing to his left. He then gets up with his stick and gets into a verbal exchange with a male fan on other side of the glass.

Smith-Pelly said he stepped forward publicly to call out the fans for what they said because he didn’t want to “brush it under the rug.”