The Kitchener Rangers’ season may have finished, but the fallout from an incident near the end of their playoff run is not over.

The Rangers’ season ended with a double-overtime loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in Game 7 of their third-round OHL playoff series.

Kitchener played that game without the services of forward Givani Smith. He was handed a two-game suspension after Game 6 over an inappropriate gesture directed at the Sault Ste. Marie bench.

Following the game, Smith, who is black, received a number of messages described by team general manager Mike McKenzie as racist and hateful.

“It pains me to say it, but it’s probably not the first time that he’s dealt with something like this,” McKenzie said in an interview.

The Rangers alerted league officials to the messages. OHL commissioner David Branch says the league was told about “comments that were concerning,” but not specifically about any racial overtones. Still, what the league heard was enough that they agreed to provide extra security for Smith on the trip to Sault Ste. Marie for Game 7 – something that, according to Branch, the league had never done before.

“We chose to add some security for the benefit of Givani and ensure, hopefully, that his well-being, his safety, was well-looked after,” Branch said.

It wasn’t the first time this season Smith had been on the receiving end of racial slurs. Some were yelled at him during a game in Sarnia, after a fan somehow gained access to the players’ area.

Sault Ste. Marie general manager Kyle Raftis also spoke out against the comments directed against Smith, saying they don’t reflect the values the Greyhounds hope to see from their fans.

“You don’t want to see any person have to go through that,” he said.

“There’s definitely a line that was crossed through social media.”

Smith was not made available to speak with CTV News on Monday. He did post a statement on Twitter, thanking people who had sent him messages of support.

“He’s handled it well. I don’t think he’s a guy that really wants to be in the spotlight for this type of thing,” McKenzie said.

Smith's agent, G.P. Daniele, told CTV News that his client was "incredibly humbled by the support received."

"Givani respectfully asks for privacy, as he and his family wish to move on from the incident," Daniele said in an email.

McKenzie said he hoped addressing the issue would help fans and people beyond the hockey community learn about acceptable and unacceptable behaviours – whether at a hockey arena, on social media platforms or anywhere else.

“I don’t think this is an OHL problem. I don’t think this is a hockey problem,” he said.

“I think this is a society problem more than anything.”

Smith is expected to turn pro next year by joining the Detroit Red Wings system.

With reporting by Max Wark and files from CTV Northern Ontario