LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud said he's accepting an ESPN anchor's apology following a comment made on Monday night.
"What kind of name is Whitecloud," SportsCenter anchor John Anderson said while calling highlights. "Great name if you're a toilet paper."
Whitecloud is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in Canada and is one of six active indigenous players in the NHL.
RELATED LINK: VGK's Zach Whitecloud on his indigenous roots
On Tuesday, Anderson released the following statement.
"This is totally on me and I sincerely apologize to Zach, the Golden Knights, their fans and everyone else for what I said. It's my job to be prepared and know the backgrounds of the players and I blew it. I will be reaching out to the team to personally apologize and hope to have the opportunity to speak to Zach as well."
Channel 13's Johnny Resendiz is in Canada with the team as they get ready to take on the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
During media availability on Tuesday, Whitecloud said Anderson has reached out, talked it out with him and apologized. He said this can serve as a learning experience for everyone.
Whitecloud was visibly emotional during the media scrum. You can tell he takes a lot of pride in his heritage. #vegasborn
— Johnny Resendiz (@JohnnyResendiz5) May 9, 2023
🎥 Zach Whitecloud speaks on his pride for his heritage. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/3j5pIQT120
— z - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 9, 2023
Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The Golden Knights currently lead the Oilers in the best-of-seven series two games to one.