Ryan Getzlaf's homophobic slur draws criticism from gay former player
Anaheim captain makes statement regarding remark made in Game 4
"I don't care how you mean it, when you say the word, it's a homophobic slur," said McGillis in a phone interview with The Canadian Press. "He doesn't sound, in my opinion, very apologetic. He's comparing what he said to a curse word and he didn't apologize to the LGBTQ community or take ownership of his actions. That's quite disappointing."
Fine not severe enough
Getzlaf's fine is the maximum allowable under the league's collective bargaining agreement with the NHLPA, but McGillis says he does not think it was severe enough.
He notes that as the Ducks forward has made millions of dollars over the course of his 12 year career, the $10,000 dollar fine isn't especially punitive. Instead, he hopes that the NHL, its players, and other sports leagues try to engage and educate adolescent players before homophobic, racist or sexist language is ingrained in their pscyhes.
"[Getzlaf] is a social influencer, he is a superstar hockey player and he has an opportunity to do some good things," said McGillis. "I think that if these athletes continue to just donate money they're missing the boat because that's not going to shift the culture and that's going to lead to more and more incidents like this."
You Can Play Project, an advocacy group dedicated to eliminating homophobia in sports, also criticized Getzlaf before Saturday's game.
"Words matter and Ryan Getzlaf's words are offensive. No language considered homophobic belongs in sports. It's not the language of role models. This is yet another opportunity to educate athletes, teams and fans," tweeted the organization that was founded by Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke and his father, Calgary Flames president Brian Burke.
'We took a step back'
Getzlaf's punishment was particularly disappointing to McGillis because last season Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw was suspended a game and fined $5,000 for using a homophobic slur and making obscene gestures toward officials in the first round of the playoffs.
"It seems like it's almost backwards," said McGillis. "We took a step back for equality and for hockey to be a safe space for everybody."
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/ducks-ryan-getzlaf-reaction-1.4126067