Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks has now admitted he used gay slurs on the ice and today apologized for them.
"I am sincerely sorry for the insensitive remarks that I made last night while in the penalty box," Shaw said. "When I got home and saw the video, it was evident that what I did was wrong, no matter the circumstances. I apologize to many people, including the gay and lesbian community, the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Blackhawks fans and anyone else I may have offended. I know my words were hurtful and I will learn from my mistake."
The Blackhawks also responded:
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"We are extremely disappointed in Andrew Shaw's actions last night. His comments do not reflect what we stand for as an organization. We are proud to have an inclusive and respectful environment, and to support various initiatives such as the You Can Play Project and the Chicago Gay Hockey Association. We will use this opportunity to further educate our players and organization moving forward, so that we all may learn from it."
Shaw yelled "fucking faggot" while in the penalty box late in Tuesday's playoff loss to the St. Louis Blues. After the game, he said he couldn't recall what he said, but later gave up that lame defense since anyone reading lips could tell what he said.
It was nice that Shaw has apologized, but the NHL still needs to suspend him. The league and many of its players have been staunch supporters of making gays comfortable in sports through the You Can Play Project. To let Shaw off without a suspension would make all those words of support meaningless.
