Less than a week after fans in St-Jerome shouted racial slurs at Jonathan Diaby during a hockey game, he took to the ice once again in Sorel.
In keeping with their newly-issued guidelines about proper conduct, the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey made a special announcement before Friday’s match.
The message, which stresses the importance of proper game conduct, will be aired before every LNAH hockey game from now on, its president announced this week.
If guidelines are not respected, the league will suspend gameplay until the offender – or offenders – are removed from the arena.
Racial slurs are taunts were hurled at Diaby and his father – who was sitting in the stands – during a match last Saturday.
Instead of expelling the perpetrators at that game, it was Diaby’s father who was asked to change seats.
The incident garnered a litany of responses from Quebec’s professional athletes, politicians, and from other players who say they are subjected to similar forms of intolerance.
Diaby was vocal about his disappointment in security during Saturday’s game, and hopes, moving forward, the league will properly address any incidents of racist misconduct.
“[I’m hoping to see] acceptance, you know?” Diaby said. “There’s still going to be ignorant people in society, but I guess more people are open-minded.”
