Simmonds talks about incident

Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds released a statement this morning about last night's incident during a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings in London, Ontario.

A spectator threw a banana peel at Simmonds, who is black, during the shootout.

"It was unfortunate that this incident happened but I am above this sort of stuff," Simmonds said. "This is something that is out of my control. Moving forward, this incident is something I will no longer comment on so I can just focus on playing hockey for the Philadelphia Flyers."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement earlier today: "We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game," Bettman said. "The obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario."