Wayne Simmonds denies using gay slur; update on ‘banana’ incident
Attention lip-readers and Sean Avery: Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds "strongly denied" using a gay slur against the New York Rangers winger on Monday night, according to Sam Carchidi of Broad Street Bull.
From Carchidi:
On Tuesday, Simmonds had a conversation with league officials about the alleged incident. He was not fined as of early Tuesday afternoon. The maximum he could be fined is $2,500 for this type of incident.
Simmonds said he became incensed when he heard Avery say, "I really don't want to have to kill [expletive] (Claude) Giroux," among other comments.
You can watch video of the alleged incident here.
Previously, Simmonds said he was unsure what he said in the heat of the moment with Avery. Via In The Room:
"Honestly, we were going back and forth for awhile there and I don't recall every single thing I said to him, but he said some things I didn't like and I said some things he didn't like. But, I can't recall every single word I said."
Simmonds had a meeting with NHL VP Colin Campbell about the incident, as it doesn't fall under Brendan Shanahan's scope of player safety issues.
The denial comes just as both Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke and GLAAD are calling on the NHL to punish Simmonds if it's found he used a gay slur against Avery. The GLAAD statement, as the organization reached out to both the Flyers and the NHL:
"Hate speech and anti-gay slurs have no place on the ice rink. The word that Simmonds used is the same word that is hurled at LGBT youth on the playground and in our schools, creating a climate of intolerance and hostility. He should not only apologize for this anti-gay outburst, but the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have a responsibility to take action and educate their fans about why this word is unacceptable."
Meanwhile, the other incident involving Simmonds last week — in which someone in the stands at an exhibition game in London, Ontario, threw a banana on the ice during Simmonds' shootout attempt — has some breaking news.
The London Free Press is reporting that London police have identified a person they think tossed the banana on the ice, having interviewed fans at the game. Also, according to the report: "Another banana was directed towards the ice earlier in the same game, also while Simmonds was on a shift, but the fruit didn't make its way onto the ice."
If there is a charge, according to the London Community News, it would be under "the Trespass to Property Act."
Also, Wayne Simmonds apparently also plays professional ice hockey, and we look forward to hearing more about that occupation in the near future.
