But with Tony DeAngelo and his past, deciphering the why and how of what happened is a bit more complicated.
In 2013, while playing for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, DeAngelo was suspended for 8 games by his own team and the league for making inappropriate statements to a teammate. This was the second time he was suspended for violating the league's harassment, abuse, and diversity policy.
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November of the same year, he was suspended for another game for abusing an official. In January of 2017, now playing in the NHL for the Arizona Coyotes, DeAngelo was suspended for 3 games for physical abuse of an official.
Despite all his prior issues and punishments, the Rangers took a chance on DeAngelo's talents and traded for him in June of 2017. DeAngelo was productive for the Rangers, scoring 19 goals and 73 assists in his 167 games with the team. But even with his productivity on the ice, DeAngelo would often make headlines for what he did off of it. DeAngelo was an active Twitter user and hosted a podcast,
Watch Your Tone, and on both, his primary focus was on politics. DeAngelo would often comment on former President Donald Trump and his administration's controversies, voicing his adamant support for Trump and his divisive policies. He would engage in heated back and forths with anyone who disagreed with him, often resulting in insults and mocking on DeAngelo's part.