Don Cherry was fired by Rogers Sportsnet on Monday after he suggested immigrants weren’t honouring Canada’s fallen soldiers.
Cherry referred to immigrants in the Toronto area as “you people.” He alleged few were wearing poppies and that this demonstrated insufficient respect for veterans. A media mainstay, the Hockey Night in Canada commentator had developed a reputation for controversial remarks. Following the poppies comment, many Canadians called for his dismissal.
Speaking to the media, Canucks coach Travis Green said that one of the great things about hockey is that it brings people together, and that there’s no room for bigotry: “I don’t think there’s any room for that and not in sport, but life in general. You don’t like to see comments that will hurt other cultures.” Canucks player Brandon Sutter also commented: “This game is for all our fans, no matter where you’re from or where your roots are. As an organization, we welcome everybody.”