Rangers, NHL condemn slurs directed at K'Andre Miller during hacked chat
Rangers prospect K'Andre Miller speaks during a media availability at Madison Square Garden, on June 26, 2019. Credit: Corey Sipkin
A Zoom chat with Rangers 2018 first-round pick K’Andre Miller was hacked Friday, with someone putting up racial slurs directed at Miller. He is biracial, with a white mother and black father.
“We held an online video chat with fans and New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller, during which a vile individual hijacked the chat to post racial slurs, which we disabled as soon as possible,’’ the Rangers said in a statement. “We were incredibly appalled by this behavior, which has no place online, on the ice, or anywhere. And we are investigating the matter.’’
The NHL on Friday night put out its own statement on the matter.
“The National Hockey League is appalled that a video call arranged today by the New York Rangers to introduce their fans to one of the league’s incoming stars, K’Andre Miller, was hacked with racist, cowardly taunts,’’ the statement read. “The person who committed this despicable act is in no way an NHL fan, and is not welcome in the hockey community.
“No one deserves to be subjected to such ugly treatment and it will not be tolerated in our league. We join with the Rangers in condemning this disgusting behavior.’’
The Rangers signed the 20-year-old defenseman to an entry-level contract last month after he played two seasons for the University of Wisconsin.
Zoom is an online video conferencing service that has become increasingly popular to use but has had issues with individuals hacking in and posting objectionable material. The practice, in which hackers have posted hate speech and offensive images, such as pornography, has become known as “Zoombombing’’ and has become so alarming that the FBI has issued a warning about using Zoom.
With schools closed and so many people around the country working from home, Zoom has become increasingly popular. According to the company, 200 million people used the app on a daily basis in March, up from 10 million in December.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
