W/ Tony DeAngelo’s NHL future up in the air, it’s worth talking about how the New York Rangers enabled & promoted him the past 4 yrs, despite knowing his history of racist comments & current problematic behaviour that includes COVID denials & that the American election is rigged.

Despite that above past & present, the Rangers continued to commit to DeAngelo, both on and off the ice. The past 4 seasons, the New York Rangers have given DeAngelo his own digital content series, featured him in marketing campaigns, and even promoted his #Wyt podcast.

It’s worth remembering that the New York Rangers Rangers were the 2nd-last NHL team to publicly comment on the killing of George Floyd (& never actually referenced it in their 2-sentence statement).

It also warrants further open discussion who in hockey/the NHL is deemed a ‘problem’ or ‘not a fit’ & who is given 2nd/3rd/4th chances. Tony DeAngelo is a prime example of getting multiple opportunities, opportunities that surely wouldn’t & haven’t been extended to everyone.

As hockey attempts to become more diverse and welcoming to different communities, it’s important to think about who the sport associates with, the people teams choose to promote, & when second/third/fourth chances are given out.

The NHL’s marquee & most-visible American franchise shouldn’t have been promoting, marketing, and aligning with Tony DeAngelo so unabashedly, all while knowing firsthand of the values he stands for.