The New Jersey Devils are investigating the assault of an employee by a Rangers fan. What do we know?
If anything is clear after Monday’s game, it’s that one Rangers fan was not happy with his team’s elimination. So much so in fact, that he was willing to fight.
Given that this isn’t the first time in recent years that a Rangers fan has been involved in a violent situation, it might be time to ask whether the team’s fans have behavioral problems and if so, should something be done about it?
New Jersey Devils search for violent Rangers fan
According to reports, the New Jersey Devils are currently attempting to identify a New York Rangers fan who assaulted one of the team’s employees during Monday’s Game 7 at the Prudential Center. It is understood that Semaj McLeod, the Devils employee in question, is a member of the team’s “Woo Crew.” In a video that has since gone viral on social media, McLeod appears to receive a punch from a Rangers fan. Indeed, the clip shows the unidentified Rangers fan approaching an exit just after the Devils had taken a 3-0 lead in the third period. At that same time, McLeod can be seen holding a Devils sign and waving it at the fan who then lunges at him and seemingly strikes him on the head.
got sucker punched in the face twice by a rangers fan, at my job, doing my job, celebrating a devils goal, if anyone know who he is pls dm pic.twitter.com/dlHUsfbsXc
— x - semaj (@semajmcl3od) May 2, 2023
What’s been said about the incident?
As seen on Twitter, McLeod himself posted - the clip above - about the attack saying he was in fact punched twice, before also asking that anybody with further information about the fan’s identity, contact him. The Devils, who are currently investigating the matter, also released a statement in which they made it clear that they will not stand for violence. “We are aware of the incident and there is no tolerance for that behavior at our arena,” a spokesperson said. “We are investigating the incident to identify the suspect.”
Interestingly, this unfortunate incident comes less than a year after another Rangers fan knocked out a Tampa Bay Lightning fan following the Rangers’ Game 5 loss in the 2022 Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. Indeed, 29-year-old James Anastasio was arrested at the time and charged with two counts of assault, two counts of disorderly conduct and two counts of harassment for his actions. While it’s not official confirmation that Rangers fans have disciplinary issues, it certainly doesn’t help to cut the growing narrative.