In a tweet on Friday, players on the Jacksonville Iceman shared a statement supporting their former teammate Jacob Panetta, the ECHL player who was suspended for the remainder of the season after directing what seen as a racist gesture towards Jordan Subban, who is Black.
The tweet, which was posted on the unverified Twitter account of Derek Lodermeier, a former teammate of Panetta’s, includes a lengthy “official players statement.” The statement, in part, says that Panetta’s actions have been taken “not in the way it which they were intended to be.”
The players’ statement goes on to say that “we have seen Jacob do this (gesture) many times before to those not of colour” and “these perceived gestures do not reflect or depict our friend and teammate we have grown to admire and respect.”
A video of the incident surfaced on social media showing Panetta gesturing in a way that could be perceived as an impersonation of a monkey in Subban’s direction, an action that is widely recognized as dehumanizing and racist when directed toward a Black person, after an initial scrum in the corner that both players were involved in. A fight between the two teams ensued in the immediate aftermath of the gesture.
Panetta was released by Jacksonville Sunday, a day after his actions toward Subban. Panetta said his gestures were “not racially motivated.”
The ECHL suspended Panetta for the rest of the season on Thursday.
Panetta, 26, will be able to apply for a reduction of the suspension and reinstatement after March 17, pending completion of a learning experience conducted in conjunction with the NHL’s player inclusion committee.
Jacksonville is affiliated with the New York Rangers, and South Carolina is a Washington Capitals affiliate.
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