New York, NY – NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued a throwing incident in a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings in London, Ontario on Thursday night.
As Philadelphia's Wayne Simmonds approached the net on his shootout attempt, a banana was thrown from the seats. Simmonds is black.
"We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game," Bettman's statement read. "The obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario."
Simmonds had scored during the contest.
"I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact I'm black," Simmonds said following the game. "I certainly hope not. When you're black, you kind of expect [racist] things. You learn to deal with it."
Simmonds is in his first year with the Flyers, who acquired him from the Kings on June 23 as part of the deal that sent Mike Richards to Los Angeles.
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