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Bruins Distance Team From Racist Tweets At Montreal's Subban

Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban checks Bruins right winger Reilly Smith during the first period of Game 1 Thursday. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban checks Bruins right winger Reilly Smith during the first period of Game 1 Thursday. (Elise Amendola/AP)

The Boston Bruins are condemning racist slurs about P.K. Subban that hit social media after the Montreal defenseman scored the winning goal in the second overtime of their playoff game Thursday night.

Bruins President Cam Neely issued a statement calling the tweets "racist" and "classless." He said they came from an "ignorant group of individuals" who do not reflect the organization.

Subban, who is black, scored twice and the Canadiens won 4-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

His play has hurt Boston over the years and he's long been unpopular there. He was booed virtually every time he touched the puck Thursday night.

Subban's brother, Malcolm, is a goalie with the Bruins' minor league affiliate in Providence.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh also denounced the tweets in a statement.

"These racist comments are not reflective of Boston, and are not reflective of Bruins fans," he said. "I've said before that the best hockey in the world happens when the Bruins and Canadiens play each other, and there is no room for this kind of ignorance here."

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom

This article was originally published on May 02, 2014.

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