Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ethan Bear has been the victim of racist behavior on social media since his costly giveaway led to the Winnipeg Jets' tying goal during Monday's Game 4 triple-overtime loss, which ended Edmonton's season.

Bear, who is from the Ochapowace First Nation, responded with a powerful video message on Wednesday.

The NHL also backed Bear and denounced racism in a statement of its own.

Oilers general manager Ken Holland also discussed the racism on Wednesday, saying he feels "sick" for Bear and called the behavior "disgusting."

The hashtag #IStandWithEthan has been trending on social media in support of Bear.

Edmonton selected Bear in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft.

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Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean apologized Wednesday for a joke he made on air Tuesday during the second intermission of Game 4 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

MacLean traded jabs with analyst Kevin Bieksa and caused a stir online with a comment some considered homophobic.

MacLean tweeted a statement to clarify his remark.

"First and foremost, I regret and apologize for what happened last night," read the statement. "Early in the show, we had a fun moment featuring a photograph of our colleague Anthony Stewart enjoying a rum party. That photo, along with a few others, sat on the shelf of Kevin Bieksa's set for the remainder of the night. In the second intermission, when Kevin quipped that he was 'the most positive person on our panel,' I directed viewers to that photo, using 'tarp off' (i.e. shirtless) to specify the picture with the rum bottle, and quipped, 'You'll be testing positive for something.' I meant the rum.

"I understand that when others are within 'earshot' of a two-way conversation, the potential for misunderstanding exists. If you only heard that last line in isolation, I completely understand how that misunderstanding occurred. I am deeply sorry. The idea of language of intention, of personal responsibility - I have seen those concepts used as broad exoneration. It's not enough.

"We have a contract with you, the viewer, that in us you see yourself. I've reached out to several guiding lights in the equity-seeking arena, my allies in the LGBTQ2S+ community, and to my co-workers to receive their wisdom and continue our joint effort to tend to the hearts of us all. I appreciate the power of the voices who spoke to me last night and this morning. It provides a sense of possibility. It's how change works."

MacLean, 61, has worked on Hockey Night in Canada since the 1986-87 NHL season.

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Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland wants to re-sign veteran goaltender and pending unrestricted free agent Mike Smith this offseason, he told reporters during his end-of-season media availability Wednesday.

Holland added he'll meet with Smith within the next few weeks.

Smith has signed back-to-back one-year deals with the Oilers, with this past season's pact carrying a $1.5-million cap hit. The 39-year-old enjoyed a terrific campaign in 2020-21, going 21-6-2 with a .923 save percentage and 13.9 goals saved above average. It marked a major turnaround after he posted severely underwhelming stats in the previous two seasons.

The Oilers are projected to have $22 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly. The team has multiple key players set to hit unrestricted free agency, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson, and Tyson Barrie. Kailer Yamamoto and Dominik Kahun are notable restricted free agents in need of new deals.

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Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said the club could trade forward Evgeny Kuznetsov this offseason if it finds the right deal.

"I think we're always open to trading people if it makes sense for what's going on," MacLellan said Wednesday when asked about potentially trading the Russian pivot, per Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. "If it's going to make our team better, I think we're open to it."

Kuznetsov has been the subject of trade speculation this season. However, following the Capitals' five-game drubbing at the hands of the Boston Bruins, MacLellan admitted Kuznetsov isn't the only player that could be moved.

"I don't think anybody's off the table," he said. "We're not going to trade (Alex Ovechkin) or (Nicklas Backstrom) and those type of people, but I think you have to be open on anything. We would talk to anybody about any player."

Kuznetsov is coming off a difficult season. He registered 29 points in 41 contests - his worst per-game rate since 2015 - and averaged his lowest ice time (16:34) since 2017. The 29-year-old also contracted COVID-19 twice, and he was scratched for being late to a team function earlier this month.

Kuznetsov has four seasons remaining on his current contract, which has an average annual value of $7.8 million. His deal includes a 15-team no-trade list, although it shrinks to 10 in 2022, according to CapFriendly.

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