Blues defenseman Vince Dunn accidentally utters a very inappropriate word on livestream

The subject of racism and prejudice in hockey has been a hot topic over the past year, especially following the Black Lives Matter movement, and rightfully so. The colour of someone's skin or someone's ethnicity or cultural background should not dictate which opportunities are and are not afforded to them, nor should it have any influence on how the individual is treated in a locker room or on an ice surface.

With that said, although some small strides have been made in the NHL, there is still a long way to go in the hockey community in terms of recognizing and acknowledging systemic inequality and racism and moving to expose it and eliminate it in hockey culture.

I'm not entirely certain that the incident below properly embodies what it is to perpetuate hateful and derogatory language, but it certainly is not a good look for St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn, who appeared to have slipped up on a livestream, uttering a word that he had no business uttering.

Obviously, judging by the abrupt stop, Dunn knew he had slipped up straight away, and in a big way after using the word, though I feel like the context matters a bit here. It's not as though Dunn was directing the n-word at anyone. He was simply singing along with, presumably, one of his favourite songs, for which he knew the lyrics by heart.

Still, it is not a good look for a white professional athlete and role model to be using that language in the first place - even just to sing the word.

Apparently, the video itself is not new. Some have suggested that it is upwards of a year old, but the fact that it has come to light and is being talked about on social media now is not a good situation for Dunn, nor the St. Louis Blues.

I definitely think it is important to acknowledge a slip up when there is a slip up. We are human beings, not robots. We all make mistakes. I would anticipate Dunn addressing the clip at some point and issuing a public apology. Beyond that, I'm not sure what to expect.

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