University of Michigan hockey player removed from team for vandalizing Jewish Resource Center

Just over a week after the University of Michigan men's ice hockey team removed defenseman Johnny Druskinis from its roster for "violating team rules," the sophomore was linked to vandalism that occurred at the university’s Jewish Resource Center in late August.

On Wednesday, The Michigan Daily reported that Druskinis was the male suspect involved in the defacing of the center. On Tuesday, the Ann Arbor Police Department released photo evidence of the homophobic slur and an image of male genitalia that was spray-painted on the property’s sidewalk. The police department — which posted surveillance footage of the incident on Aug. 25 — stated that a male suspect, now known to be Druskinis, was the one who spray-painted the offensive content.

The female suspect, who allegedly spray-painted her initials beside the offensive content, is a member of the Michigan women’s lacrosse team, according to The Michigan Daily.

The Michigan Daily reported that Druskinis and the other suspect apologized to a large crowd of participants at a Shabbat dinner held at the center last month. The center confirmed the apology took place "in front of over 350 people" and has chosen not to press charges.

"As far as the JRC is concerned, these students aren’t bad people and certainly don’t need to have their lives ruined," the center said in a statement. "While they made a poor choice, they sincerely apologized, and we have high confidence they won’t repeat such actions ever again."

Druskinis, 21, recorded two points in eight games with the Wolverines last year. Before his NCAA days, Druskinis played in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm and was a teammate of Mitchell Miller, who the Arizona Coyotes drafted in the fourth round back in 2020 before renouncing the pick shortly after his severe and racially motivated bullying of an African-American classmate was revealed.