An Open Letter from Boston Bruins fans to other “Bruins Fans”.

May 1, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing

(34) battles with Montreal Canadiens defenseman

(76) during the second period in game one of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

P.K. Subban scored twice on the power play last night to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 win in double overtime. Normally, this would have been the end of it. Some individuals took their hatred of the Montreal franchise to a disturbing level last night. Those people chose to use derogatory language of a racist nature against the player that beat us.

This Bruins fan has no defense for the racist idiots who decided to light up social media with their inexcusable ignorance. My initial response to those individuals was not much nicer than the Neanderthalish comments served up by these individuals. For the sake of clarity, I will from this point call them the “Bruins fans”.  These are not the Bruins fans that congratulated the Canadiens on their double overtime win last night.  Certainly not the Bruins fans that support their team, and the organizational charities. This will be directed at those “Bruins fans” who decided to let their brains take a little vacation while they chose to highlight their stupidity last night.

Bruins president Cam Neely was so disgusted by the comments he posted a statement that reflected the deep embarrassment he felt over those “Bruins fans”. That statement reads as follows:

“The racist, classless views expressed by an ignorant group of individuals following Thursday’s game via digital media are in no way a reflection of anyone associated with the Bruins organization.”

The problem with these “Bruins fans” is that they have just validated the opinion of many fans (especially in the wingnut fringe of the Canadiens’ fan base). Way to go morons. You’ve just dragged a lot of decent people who love hockey and the Bruins down to your level. It’s these kind of things that give certain “journalists” complete artistic license to jump on the bandwagon of hate. True to form, Harrison Mooney of Puck Daddy fired off another volley of hatred against the Bruins. Sadly it was those “Bruins fans” that gave them a legitimate reason to spew anti-Bruins vitriol. Those “Bruins fans” served it up to him on a platter. Here’s what he had to say about Neely’s very sincere apology

. (An apology the President of the organization would not have had to make if the “Bruins fans” had kept their fingers away from social media last night.)

“The problem, of course, is that Neely’s partially incorrect. These fans are associated with the Bruins organization. They may not work for it, but they cheer for it, and they contribute to its reputation outside of Boston, fairly or unfairly in much the same way the folks behind Vancouver’s second Stanley Cup riot gave Vancouver a reputation for rioting. A pattern is emerging.”

That pattern should have nothing to do with the Boston Bruins.

For the “Bruins fans” who seemed to forget the history of the organization, I’d like to offer a little remedial history lesson. That lesson will be called Willie Eldon O’Ree. For some of you that name will ring a bell. For those “Bruins fans” I expect your ignorance will assert itself again. For the rest of you who don’t know who this man was I’ll give you a quick bio. Willie O’Ree is known as the ‘Jackie Robinson of the NHL’. On January 18, 1958, he became the first black player in the NHL. He played that game wearing the Black and Gold.  His opponents that day were the Montreal Canadiens. Fifty six years ago, he broke the color barrier in hockey, and he’s still remembered in the Boston Sports Museum as a player that helped move hockey forward. (For those of you who don’t know where that museum is, it’s INSIDE the TD Garden.)

There is also that little matter of Future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla currently wearing the number twelve for the Bruins too.  Ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent of the Bruins fans are outraged by last night’s cavalcade of classlessness. They do not represent the honest love of the sport many of us have. So, to all you “Bruins fans” who have once again been an instrument of the lowest common denominator, do the rest of us a favor and turn in your jerseys. Your actions are nothing more than the basest nature of humanity. They have no place in this league.