New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban wants hockey world to 'focus on how we can change' after racial taunt aimed at brother

NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban on Sunday night addressed an incident involving a racist taunt aimed at his brother, Jordan Subban, in a minor-league game Saturday in Florida.

The East Coast Hockey League indefinitely suspended Jacksonville Icemen defenseman Jacob Panetta, pending a hearing for what Jordan Subban, a South Carolina Stingrays defenseman who is Black, said was a racist taunt. The Icemen later announced they released Panetta.

P.K. Subban, in his 13th NHL season, spoke with reporters following the Devils' 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. He had posted a series of social-media messages earlier in the day regarding the incident, but his postgame news conference featured his first comments in-person.

«I didn't sleep much,» he said, referring to Saturday night when he heard the news after the Devils defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, 7-4, in Newark. «Sheer disappointment. It's distasteful. There is no room for it in our game. I'm embarrassed because our game is better than this.»

The ECHL game was in overtime when South Carolina's Andrew Cherniwchan collided with Jacksonville goalie Justin Kapelmaster, sparking a skirmish between the teams. According to Jordan Subban, he tried to engage Panetta in a fight. Panetta responded by allegedly taunting Jordan Subban.

«As soon as I began to turn my back, he started making monkey gestures at me, so I punched him in the face multiple times and he turtled like the coward he is,» Jordan Subban tweeted.

Stingrays team president Rob Concannon said in a statement that his organization was «appalled by the incident.»

The two fought while surrounded by players from both teams. They received major penalties and misconduct penalties that sent them to their