By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The NHL’s ongoing struggle to attract Black players and fans has faced another setback with a recent incident involving Phoenix Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk.
According to a Scottsdale police report, Galchenyuk, who signed a $775,000 contract earlier this month with the Coyotes, was involved in a hit-and-run accident and subsequently confronted a Black police officer using racial slurs and making graphic threats.
During the incident, Galchenyuk reportedly exhibited erratic behavior and aggression toward the officers who responded to the scene.
Various reports said he made disturbing statements, including threatening the officer’s family and using racial slurs multiple times.
“One phone call and you’re all dead, your whole family, your whole blood line is dead,” Galchenyuk allegedly told the officers, before using a derogatory term toward African Americans.
“I’m gonna chop you, your wife, your daughter,” he continued, the police report noted.
The report also mentioned that Galchenyuk was slurring his words and smelled of alcohol, indicating possible intoxication.
The Coyotes swiftly terminated Galchenyuk’s contract, citing a material breach of terms.
“We are aware of the incident involving Alex Galchenyuk and strongly condemn this type of behavior,” the Coyotes said in a statement.
“Once the club was made aware of the allegations, we immediately began the process of terminating his standard player’s contract through the proper channels in conjunction with the National Hockey League.”
Officers arrested Galchenyuk, who faces charges of private property hit-and-run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, and threatening or intimidating.
This incident comes as the NHL is already grappling with diversifying its player base and fan demographic.
Recent surveys indicate that only 10 percent of Black Americans consider themselves avid fans of the NHL.
The league predominantly consists of white players, with 97 percent being Caucasians.
The remaining 3 percent represent players from various backgrounds, including 34 active Black players.
Throughout its 102-year history, the NHL has only had one Black head coach among its 377 coaches.
The NHL’s ongoing efforts to foster inclusivity and diversity have been hindered by incidents like this, reinforcing the perception that the league may not be welcoming or supportive of Black players and fans.
Also, the NHL and the NHL Players Association have repeatedly ignored requests from the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade group representing the more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies comprising the Black Press of America.
