Junior hockey announcer fired during the game for racist comment made on air

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Josh tupper
April 23, 2022 (8:26)

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During last night's playoff game between the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Langley Rivermen, a racist comment was made on air by colour commentator, Bruce MacDonald. The comment occured during the second period, when player's including the Rivermen's Owen Kim got into a scuffle after the whistle.

MacDonald first began commentating on Kim's height (5'8), before he chose to go off the rails with his next comment.

Awww Kim, get on a ladder and talk to him.

Anyway if you push the pace, you're going to draw penalties.

Does he speak English? Maybe that's the problem.

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To his credit Evan Hammond, MacDonald's broadcast partner immediately called out this disgust display telling colleague he's gone "too far." But unlike most professional organizations that take time to dissect this matter, the BCHL acted swiftly. During the second intermission MacDonald was pulled from the both and banned from any future games.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs President, David Michaud issued the following statement:

I got a text message with a little over five minutes to go in the second period from our league office with a clip with the audio,» he says. «We instantly decided at that point that Bruce would be removed from the broadcast, and future broadcasts as far as I'm concerned. He's not welcome back on the air representing our hockey club.

We have a 70-foot banner that hangs along the walkway that says there's no place for racism in hockey, and we stand behind that. We're proud of some of our initiatives in the community and the work we put in and to say that I'm disappointed by Bruce's comment would be an understatement.

The BCJHL also issued an immediate statement on the matter:

DURING THE SECOND PERIOD OF TONIGHT'S GAME BETWEEN THE ALBERNI VALLEY BULLDOGS AND THE LANGLEY RIVERMEN, BRUCE MACDONALD, THE HOME COLOUR COMMENTATOR, MADE A RACIST COMMENT TOWARDS RIVERMEN PLAYER OWEN KIM. THE BULLDOGS WERE IMMEDIATELY INFORMED OF THE COMMENTS AND TOOK ACTION BY REMOVING MR. MACDONALD FROM THE BROADCAST.

THE BCHL AND THE ALBERNI VALLEY BULLDOGS WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO OWEN KIM AND HIS FAMILY, AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY HAVE HEARD THE COMMENT. WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOUR AND MR. MACDONALD IS BANNED FROM ANY FUTURE BROADCAST INVOLVING THE BULLDOGS OR ANY OTHER BCHL TEAM.

Kim, the target of the comment, was actually born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. So it clearly shows the level of insensitivity shown by MacDonald.

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