Dallas Stars ban buyer of seats tied to alleged Nazi salute

dallas stars Said on Monday that he has indefinitely banned a fan from purchasing a ticket as part of an investigation into an incident that appeared to be a Nazi salute at a game in December.

The fan was banned after the American Airlines Center began investigating four Stars fans who appeared to repeatedly raise and extend their right arm while keeping their right arm straight down.

An investigation was launched after a 12-second clip of the Stars’ 5–1 win on 21 December was shown. Toronto Maple Leafs It was promoted on several social media platforms last week.

“We have identified and spoken to the individual who purchased the ticket and that individual will be banned from American Airlines Center indefinitely,” the Stars said in a statement to ESPN. “Additionally, we are increasing messaging in the arena regarding the Fan Code of Conduct and how our fans can report violations, as well as prioritizing staff training to identify and handle situations that may arise.

“Discriminatory or hateful behavior of any kind will not be tolerated and has no place on our arena. Creating and maintaining an inclusive, safe and respectful environment is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

The American Airlines Center said in a statement released last week that it has “zero tolerance for any acts of hate and/or discrimination.” A Stars spokesperson also told ESPN that the team “completely agrees” with the arena’s statement and was working with the facility to find out what happened.

Creating more visible locations to send messages on the field regarding fan code of conduct has become a common practice in the NHL.

Each team, as part of their pregame routine, features a scripted segment that informs fans about their individual codes of conduct, along with the consequences that come with potential violations.

The NHL itself also has a fan code of conduct that is divided into four sections: Respect, Inclusion, Safety and Empowerment.

The inclusion section states that language, gestures and behavior, among other forms of personal expression, that disparage a specific race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability status or other identity-based characteristic “will not be tolerated.”

The league says anyone found to conduct conduct contrary to the values ​​of the league, its clubs and/or its players “will be subject to penalties, including, but not limited to, possible seat transfer, ejection, suspension and/or a lifetime ban from future NHL events.”