New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller faces racial abuse in a team video chat
A hacker posted a racial slur 45 times in a team-sponsored Zoom chat.
K’Andre Miller, a top prospect for the New York Rangers, was repeatedly subjected to a racial slur when a team-sponsored online video chat was hacked on Friday.
Miller, who is African American, was participating in the NHL’s “Future Fridays” series on the videoconferencing app Zoom. The league has been shut down since March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Miller, 20, was chosen 22nd overall by the Rangers in the 2018 draft, and he has played the past two seasons for the University of Wisconsin. The 6-foot-4 defenseman, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, signed an entry-level contract with the Rangers last month.
During the question-and-answer session, the slur was repeatedly typed out on the chat screen. In statements issued hours later, the Rangers and the NHL condemned the hacker’s comments, and the team said it was investigating the matter.
A statement from #NYR: pic.twitter.com/Jo1RNmUdrr
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 3, 2020
Several fans on social media, however, questioned why the team and league had waited so long to issue the condemnation.
“We held an online video chat with fans and New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller, during which a vile individual hijacked the chat to post racial slurs, which we disabled as soon as possible,’’ the Rangers said on Twitter. “We were incredibly appalled by this behavior, which has no place online, on the ice, or anywhere.”
USA Hockey also tweeted in support of Miller, calling him “an incredible leader, teammate, friend & person. Racial & derogatory slurs have absolutely no place in the game or society.” And at least three Rangers — Jacob Trouba, Ryan Strome and Tony De’Angelo — expressed similar sentiments online.
What happened today was inexcusable and cowardly. Racism has no place in the hockey community or the world. @kandre_miller we are excited to have you as a part of the @NYRangers and I look forward to having you as a teammate.
— Jacob Trouba (@JacobTrouba) April 4, 2020
“I look forward to having you as a teammate,” Trouba wrote.
Communication via Zoom and other teleconferencing methods — which have replaced face-to-face contact amid the coronavirus surge — has led to many other incidents of abusive hacking that are garnering attention from the FBI.
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