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Val-d’Or Foreurs’ Vincent Dunn faces suspension for racial remark toward Halifax Mooseheads’ Trey Lewis, who accepts his apology

Neate Sager

It's almost automatic to describe a racial incident as ugly without knowing what actually happened, but the one in a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game on Sunday is somewhat faith-restoring.

On Sunday, Val-d'Or Foreurs rookie centre Vincent Dunn received a game misconduct under QMJHL rule 4.96, which calls for an ejection and minimum two-game suspension for making either " "racial taunts, gestures and slurs." During a skirmish, the 17-year-old Dunn — as can be best pieced together from the tweets of Halifax Chronicle-Herald reporter Willy Palov — evidently made an "inappropriate racial remark" toward Halifax Mooseheads captain Trey Lewis. It's not known what Dunn said to Lewis, a Mi'kmaq from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick. What is known is that after Mooseheads coach Dominque Ducharme brought the incident to the officials' attention, Dunn was given a game misconduct and will likely face further discipline from the QMJHL.

This is where it would be very easy to make some loose connections between other racial incidents in elite hockey, especially after what happened in the Czech Extraliga to NHLer Wayne Simmonds in recent weeks. It is nothing but regrettable that Lewis, a 19-year-old stay-at-home defenceman, was slurred for doing nothing more than playing physically and with an edge to help his team. But it sounds like it was handled amicably — Lewis did not repeat what was said, while the Foreurs were contrite about Dunn's insensitivity.

From Willy Palov:

There is no one way to handle being on the receiving end of racial insensitivity. How it's handled in high-level sport, where the qualities of being a thinker and a competitor can sometimes drift apart, also differs from how it's handled in a school or work setting. That being said, Lewis has led some fans to reaffirm their admiration of him for. Lewis, who hails from the Moncton, N.B., area and was his province's male aboriginal athlete of the year in 2009, has already received some supportive tweets. It also looks like Dunn will be cooling his heels.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.