During the Chicago Blackhawks first round series against the St. Louis Blues, Blackhawks’ forward Andrew Shaw was seen gesturing the middle finger to an official and shouting a slur in regards to gay people after he was called for an interference penalty. The NHL’s front office was proactive about the situation, suspending Shaw for one game and fining him $5,000.
The NHL was nearly forced to take action, considering their involvement in the “You Can Play” campaign, which is dedicated to equality among athletes regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to their mission statement.
This could also be a situation where Shaw received disciplinary action because he was the first to be caught.