Watch CBS News

Did Hockey Player's Halloween Costume Cross The Line?

(WSCR) Can a line be crossed with a Halloween costume?

On Sunday night, Phoenix Coyotes winger Raffi Torres showed up to the team's annual Halloween party covered in blackface -- a makeup from 19th and early 20th century theater applied to make one appear African American.

Torres was supposed to be his favorite rapper, Jay-Z, with his wife dressed as Beyonce.

Torres' decision to use blackface for comedic effect was immediately met with criticism, but the Coyotes were quick to defend their player's costume, issuing this statement:

"There was absolutely nothing racist about Raffi and his wife's costumes. Raffi is a huge fan of Jay Z and his wife loves Beyonce. It was a Halloween party. The fact that this was reported is ridiculous. We will have no further comment."

Here's Torres dressed as Jay-Z, taken from teammate Paul Bissonnette's Twitter account.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.