UHL GM Eugene Kolychev Says He Was Fired for Criticizing Response to Racist Gesture

Eugene Kolychev said Thursday he was fired as general manager of the Ukrainian Hockey League after speaking out against racism:

Kolychev spoke out after HC Kremenchuk's Andrei Deniskin made a racist gesture toward HC Donbass' Jalen Smereck, who is Black. Deniskin appeared to pretend to peel a banana and eat it during a UHL game:

The 23-year-old player was ejected from the game and received a 13-game suspension for his actions, per TSN.

Smereck announced this week he is taking an indefinite leave of absence from HC Donbass. The American-born player had previously signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and spent the 2020-21 season in the American Hockey League before going to the UHL.

Kolychev announced the suspension for Deniskin on Wednesday.

"The [Ukrainian Hockey League] believes that there is no place for racism in the world in which we live, let along in the hockey community," he added.

He has since called on the International Ice Hockey Federation to conduct its own investigation.