ECHL suspends Jacob Panetta for remainder of season after racist taunt

The ECHL suspended Jacksonville Icemen forward Jacob Panetta for the remaining 38 games of the season. Panetta, 26, made a racial gesture toward South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Jordan Subban in a game Saturday night.

The Icemen released Panetta Sunday afternoon. It’s the second pro hockey suspension for a racial gesture in as many weeks.

The AHL suspended San Jose Barracuda forward Krystof Hrabik for 30 games after directing a racial gesture toward Tucson Roadrunners forward Boko Imama.

Much like Hrabik and Imama issued statements after the incident, Panetta did too. In videos shared to his Twitter account, Panetta said his actions were “not because of race or were not intended toward a racial gesture.”

“Jordan Subban and I were talking in a heated manner. When the linesman got between us, I said you’re only tough once the refs get involved, and I did a ‘tough guy’ bodybuilder-like gesture toward him,” Panetta said, who apologized to Subban for his actions. “I made the same bodybuilder gesture to non-racialized (sic) players a number of times when there have been on-ice confrontations. There is video from previous games which demonstrate this. I did not contemplate at the time this would be perceived by some as a racial gesture.

“It’s not who I am, it’s not how I have been raised. But at the same time, I need to and will learn from it.”

Subban’s only public statements thus far were made on Saturday night, but his brother, New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban, echoed concerns raised by Imama.

“They don’t call the East Coast League the ‘jungle’ because my brother and the other black players are the monkeys! Hey Jacob Panetta, you shouldn’t be so quick delete your Twitter or your Instagram account. You will probably be able to play again – that’s what history says,” P.K. Subban tweeted.

“But things are changing now. Not just the hockey world knows your true colors, your hometown of Belleville knows, your family, and friends know you’re a fraud. With everything that has gone on in the past couple years in the world, I’ll say with all due respect to everyone who has an opinion, this isn’t a mistake. We all know what’s OK and what’s not. Even your own teammates wanted to see you get your clock cleaned. This happens a lot and it never gets exposed in the lower leagues.”