Blackhawks’ Duclair reaches out to young goalie who was victim of racial slur

Blackhawks forward Anthony Duclair reached out to a Canadian youth hockey player who was the victim of a racial slur, CBC reported.

The CBC reported that Mark Connors, 12, a black hockey player in Nova Scotia, Canada, was called the n-word by a player on the opposing team during a game March 3.

The incident took place in Tantallon, Nova Scotia, near Halifax.

The report also stated that Connors, a goaltender, has been the victim of racial slurs in the league since he was 6 years old.

After an investigation by Hockey Nova Scotia, the player who delivered the racist comment was issued a 45-day suspension.

After the incident, Duclair took to Twitter to show support for Connors and other hockey players who’ve been subjected to racial abuse.

He called Connors to offer his support.

“I just told him that he does belong,” Duclair told CBC. “He can do whatever he wants in this world.”

Duclair, who is black, spoke out after Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly was the victim of racial slurs while sitting in the penalty box during a game at the United Center this season.

“I told him he was a very brave young man to do what he did,” Duclair said. “I know it isn’t always easy to come out against that stuff. I know when it happened to me, I just kept it to myself.”

Halifax was the birthplace of the “Coloured Hockey League.”

The league, which featured all-black players from 1895 to 1930 who were the descendants of American slaves who escaped to Canada, is credited by some hockey historians with two innovations seen in modern-day hockey: the slapshot and the butterfly style used by goaltenders who drop to their knees to stop a puck.