The NHL said Monday that St. Louis police are investigating threats against Colorado Evening forward Nazem Kadri, who has been the subject of racist messages on social media since the clash that resulted in Blues goalkeeper Jordan Binnington’s decision. series. .
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told the Associated Press by email that the league and police are investigating the situation.
On Sunday night, the team said it was aware of the threats against Kadri and was working with local law enforcement to investigate. The footage clashed with Binington during Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Saturday night; Kadri said the blues player threw in his water bottle during an after-game interview.
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The AP confirmed the existence of messages on Twitter sent to the official account of the Avalanche team and to Kadri, who called him an “Arab scum” and referred to terrorism. Other reports, some of which were removed, included death threats. There were still a few hours left before the 4th game in St. Louis, when Colorado was leading the series of the best of the seven with a score of 2-1.
It was not clear whether the social media posts were the subject of an investigation by the league, the team or the police, or whether there were other threats against Kadri, who is of Lebanese descent.
“We take seriously any threats against any of our players or other club staff,” Daley said. “We are liaising with the St. Louis Police Department and they are applying enhanced security procedures both in the arena and at the hotel.”
Former NHL player Akim Aliu told the AP in a text message that he was in constant contact with Kadri and added: “All we can do is support him morally.”
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“Naz has been subjected to so many racist attacks and threats since last night that he had to involve the police,” Aliu, a Canadian Nigerian, wrote on Twitter. “Such racist attacks have no place in hockey, and they need to be investigated and reported.”
Aliu and Kadri are members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which works to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey, and helps make the sport more accessible to minorities and low-income youth.
The NHL has several security levels, including club staff and additional services provided by the home team who are in constant contact with the league’s security department. This department is activated in similar situations and can cooperate with federal and local law enforcement agencies if necessary.
The League, with the participation of the NHL Players Association, has set up a confidential hotline to which players can report harassment, discrimination or other serious violations. It is managed by a third party, with the ability to make reports by phone, email or online anonymously or with attribution.
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