BOSTON - Canadiens coach Michel Therrien says defenceman P.K. Subban has not been affected by the racial abuse on social media after his winning goal against the Bruins on Thursday night.
"He's got a lot of character, that kid," Therrien said Saturday prior to Game 2 against the Bruins.
Therrien met with Subban, who is black, on Friday night to see how he was feeling and to ensure his player knew he had the team's support.
"But like he said, and from my standpoint too, it's more important that we're here to sell the game, we're here to win a hockey game, we're here to compete," Therrien told reporters. "We're not here to talk about a few bad people that put some comments on the Internet."
Therrien said Subban, 24, spent part of Friday with his family.
Both the Bruins and Canadiens have decried the racial abuse. So have the mayors of the two cities. Commissioner Gary Bettman also weighed in when asked about it before Saturday's game.
"I fully endorse and support the comment that (Boston president) Cam Neely and the Bruins issued," he said. "We are about diversity and inclusiveness. We condemn bias and hatred. It has no place in our game and it's not acceptable."
Subban, as he was in Game 1, was booed every time whenever he had the puck.