Kings call on Anti-Defamation League to help address Jr. Kings’ alleged anti-Semitic acts

The Kings said Wednesday that they have consulted with the Anti-Defamation League and have connected the group with the Jr. Kings organization for the purpose of establishing educational programs in the wake of an incident in which members of the Jr. Kings youth team allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks and one made a Nazi salute.

The incident, which was recorded and posted to social media, took place early last month in Las Vegas, where the Jr. Kings 14-and-under bantam AAA team was participating in a tournament. Fifteen players and three coaches were suspended as a result. The California Amateur Hockey Assn. has been investigating the actions of the players for possible violations of the SafeSport Code.

The Jr. Kings operate out of the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, which is the Kings’ practice facility. The Jr. Kings are allowed to wear the NHL Kings’ colors and logo and have received coaching from former Kings players but they are not directly affiliated with the Kings.

The team roster is comprised of 18 players who work with five coaches. Of that group, three players and two coaches were not at the tournament, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Those five individuals were not suspended.

The California Amateur Hockey Assn. has not commented on the incident and has not released the findings of its investigation.

The ADL is a Jewish civil rights group dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism.

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The Kings issued a statement on the matter Wednesday:

“Since we were made aware of the incidents of March 9 we have been in regular communication with the LA Jr. Kings — a recreational club team operating out of our training facility. We fully supported their decision to indefinitely suspend all players and coaches as they conducted an immediate internal investigation and began cooperation with CAHA on a SafeSport Investigation.

“We look forward to the Jr. Kings management receiving the pending SafeSport investigation by CAHA on behalf of the Pacific District and USA Hockey so they can take action accordingly, including notifying the players and their parents of the discipline.

“The LA Kings have zero tolerance for this type of behavior. The Kings are committed to maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of discrimination. This sort of behavior does not reflect our values and culture. Through our resources within the organization we have consulted with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and we have connected the Jr. Kings with the ADL to build out educational programs for these players to take measures so that this terrible behavior does not happen again. We are grateful for the support of the ADL. With their support of the Jr. Kings we collectively will use this as an opportunity to make an impact on the broader problem.”