NHL player apologises for gay slur saying he didn’t realise ‘full meaning’
Radko Gudas injured Canada’s captain Sidney Crosby and shouted a homophobic slur during a Winter Olympics match. (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)
Ice hockey player Radko Gudas has apologised for shouting a gay slur at the Winter Olympics last week, saying he “didn’t realise the full meaning” of the word.
Gudas, who plays for the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League (NHL) but was competing for Team Czechia in Milan, caused outrage last week when he yelled “f****** c*** sucker” after injuring Sidney Crosby in his losing game against Canada.
“I’m a very passionate guy,” Gudas told The Athletic on 25 February. “I put my heart on a sleeve, and I take the game very seriously. I didn’t realise at that moment the full meaning of the word and I’m really sorry they had to be part of it.
“Learn from our mistakes.”
When asked by The Athletic if he understands why the language he used was considered offensive, Gudas replied: “Hundred percent. I think as a sport we take pride in staying away from those things.
“In the heat of the moment, the emotions got the best of me and I’m sorry for the way it looks in all of hockey.
“Nothing I can do about it right now, but I feel sorry about that.”
Gudas also said that he “didn’t mean anything by” the language he used, and it was more said out of frustration in the moment.
“You never want to put heat on anyone, on the sport, on yourself with stuff like this,” he explained. “Definitely a learning experience for me.”
The Anaheim Ducks, for which Gudas is the captain, has not yet commented on the incident.
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