DENVER — Ahead of what could be his team's final game of the season on Wednesday, St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube made a statement to reporters that didn't have to do with the Blues' series on the ice against the Avalanche.
Berube addressed obscene and racial threats that had been levied against Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri after Game 3 of the second-round series between the two teams.
Kadri and Blues defenseman Calle Rosen collided with Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington in the first period of Game 3, knocking the team's red-hot goalie out for the remainder of the series with an injury.
In the days after the game, Kadri, who is of Lebanese descent, received numerous messages of hate and racism, which prompted the St. Louis Police Department to get involved.
On Wednesday, Berube offered this statement:
"Before any questions, I just want to comment on my 'no comment' the other day. I'm not on social media. I was aware of a threat made to Nazem. Not the racist stuff. In no way is it acceptable by the St. Louis Blues or anybody else for him to have to go through that. Being a Native American myself, I've heard it all, I've been around it. It's not a good thing. So I just wanted to get that out there that there's no room for it anywhere."
Blues forward David Perron was fined $5,000 after Game 4, for cross-checking Kadri on the ice after another fracas between the Avalanche forward and the Blues.
Kadri scored a hat trick in Game 4 in St. Louis to give the Avalanche a 3-1 lead in the series and push the Blues to the brink of elimination in Game 5.