Jacob Panetta's former Icemen teammates band together in his defence

In what appears to be an unprecedented move, the players with the Jacksonville Icemen have banded together to defend their former teammate Jacob Panetta. Panetta was cut from the Icemen and suspended for the rest of the season from the ECHL after an incident involving Jordan Subban that included a perceived racist gesture. The statement, posted to Twitter by Derek Lodermeier, is said to be on behalf of all players with the Icemen and calls Panetta a "man of character, filled with kindness, sincerity and compassion for others." It also states the players believe him when he said the gesture was not meant to be racist. Here's the statement in full:

Since the night of the incident, in which both Jordan Subban and brother PK called out Panetta for the gesture, there has been no further comment from them on his suspension or him being axed by the team. The ECHL states a full investigation was conducted, including interviews with several people on the ice at the time, before it decided on the suspension.

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