The National Hockey League said Thursday that an investigation into the conduct of former Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon showed that he didn’t make racially and culturally insensitive comments during the team’s stay in the Toronto hub.
Allegations from an anonymous source surfaced in August that said Tallon, who turned 70 on Oct. 19, used what the NHL called “inappropriate racial, religious and ethnic comments,” but the league said their investigation showed the accusations were “not substantiated.”
The NHL hired Seyfarth Shaw LLP to conduct a confidential investigation. The league said the firm interviewed more than a dozen people in the Panthers organization and found the allegations were shown to be “inconsistent with Tallon’s past actions and his affirmative efforts in support of diversity and inclusion initiatives”
“As a result, based on the investigation, the NHL has further concluded that there has been no established violation of NHL policy or protocols,” a league statement said.
The Panthers parted ways with Tallon on Aug. 10, three days after the team was eliminated by the New York Islanders in four games during the best-of-five qualifying-round series in Toronto.
Tallon’s contract expired on July 1 but was extended by team owner Vincent Viola after the season resumed following a pause on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tallon was named the Panthers’ general manager on May 18, 2010, and was promoted to president of hockey operations and GM on April 10, 2017.
–Field Level Media
