JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Icemen said one of its players accused of making racist gestures toward a Black player in January has returned to the team after completing “a learning experience” with the NHL’s Player Inclusion Committee.
Defenseman Jacob Panetta, 26, is expected to rejoin the team for the game against the Atlanta Gladiators at Veterans Memorial Arena at 7 p.m. Friday.
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“I want to thank the NHL Player Inclusion Committee, the ECHL, the Icemen, and my family for working with and supporting me over the past several months,” Panetta said in a statement. “This has been a positive learning experience for me, and I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned with my teammates, the game, and our community. I am looking forward to making a positive contribution to the Icemen and the Jacksonville community, on and off the ice.”
“We appreciate the support of our partners in the ownership group, our fans, the ECHL, the NHL and the hockey community as we welcome Jacob back to the Icemen,” Andrew Kaufmann, CEO and Managing Partner of the Jacksonville Icemen, said in a statement. “After much time reflecting and meeting with various community leaders and hockey officials, we all have a better understanding and appreciation of how we can all work together to make our game more inclusive both on and off the ice.”
The initial incident happened during the Icemen’s Jan. 22 game against the South Carolina Stingrays. Right after the incident, Panetta apologized for his gestures toward Stingrays defenseman Jordan Subban, saying he was doing a “tough guy bodybuilder” gesture.
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Subban accused Panetta of making a monkey gesture toward him while in a scuffle during overtime, which led to a brawl. The entire encounter was caught on video.
On Jan. 27, the ECHL announced Panetta would be suspended for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. The ECHL said at that time that Panetta would have the opportunity to apply for a reduction of his suspension and reinstatement after Thursday, March 17, “pending successful completion of a learning experience conducted in conjunction with the National Hockey League’s Player Inclusion Committee.”
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