GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – A New York minor league hockey team has apologized for a video skit introducing its new mascot as a firefighter-whuppin’ flame from a devastating 19th-century fire.
The Adirondack Flames — the American Hockey League affiliate of the Calgary Flames –introduced "Scorch" on Thursday. The mascot’s back story is that he’s the lone surviving ember from an 1864 fire that destroyed much of Glens Falls.
In the video, Scorch emerges from behind a tree to overpower a firefighter, knocking him to the ground as "POW!" appears on the screen.
Two hours after introducing Scorch, the team issued an apology, saying the skit was done "in poor taste."
The AHL team begins its season Friday night. Earlier this year, the league approved the team’s move from Abbotsford, B.C., to Glens Falls.
