Prospect exposed as racist, no teams fan base wants him
Kai Uchacz is a talented center who plays for the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL and is eligible for the NHL Draft.
He has also spent some time in Seattle's system. In the 2022-2023 season, the 19-year-old scored an impressive 50 goals and 35 assists, totaling 85 points. Uchacz is known for his skills and great shot.
However, Uchacz's behavior off the ice is concerning. He has been involved in several racist incidents dating back to 2019-2020 in the WHL.
Recently, he and another forward threw a banana at Mekai Sanders, who is the only player of color on the team. This is not the only reported incident of racism against Sanders by Uchacz.
It is disappointing that the league has not taken character into account, and they have received criticism for it, which is justified.
Will any team take on the negative press for selecting Uchacz?
If I were Kyle Davidson, I look at the previous ramifications of the Arizona Coyotes and Boston Bruins with Mitchell Miller and learn from their easily avoidable mistakes.
Uchacz made racist slurs toward Sanders, the lone Black player on the Thunderbirds, and a banana was waved in front of the player according to a report from the Seattle Times.
As hockey often does, however, Uchacz's racism is being overlooked in favour of his on-ice skill. The Red Deer Rebels of the WHL were the first to make this choice when they traded for Uchacz in exchange for a second-round pick. NHL Central Scouting was next, ranking Uchacz 95th among North American Skaters in their Midterm Rankings.
As Seen On: lastwordonsports.com
| POLL | ||
Should any NHL team be able to draft Kai Uchacz with his history of slurs and racism? | ||
| Yes | 280 | 40 % |
| No | 420 | 60 % |
| List of polls | ||
