AHL suspends Ben Holmstrom eight games for using homophobic language

The American Hockey League announced on Wednesday that Rochester Americans forward Ben Holmstrom has been suspended for eight games due to using homophobic language in a game against the Utica Comets on March 30.

The AHL said in the statement linked above that the incident happened at the end of the first period of the game and that Holmstrom was given a game misconduct for his actions. The statement also says that Holmstrom will be participating in diversity and inclusion education as part of his suspension.

Holmstrom has already served two games of the ban, as he was suspended indefinitely after the game. The Americans have 11 regular-season games left remaining on their schedule.

“We were made aware of an inappropriate comment made by one of our players in a recent game. Once aware, we took immediate action through numerous conversations with the player, team, and league,” Americans general manager Jason Karmanos said in a statement. “To be clear, we have no tolerance for any form of hate and regret any harm his comment inflicted. We strive to maintain an inclusive environment in which our differences are celebrated. We have sought counseling awareness resources for the player.”

Holmstrom, who turns 35 years old this week, turned pro in 2009 after spending four seasons with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He appeared in seven NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers between 2010 and 2012 and has played over 600 games in the AHL.