Flyers remove Kate Smith statue amid allegations

The Philadelphia Flyers removed a statue of late singer Kate Smith from outside the team's arena on Sunday and will no longer play Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" at games, according to a statement from the team.

"In recent days, we learned that several of the songs Kate Smith performed in the 1930s include lyrics and sentiments that are incompatible with the values of our organization, and evoke painful and unacceptable themes," said the statement, which acknowledged the Flyers' "long and popular relationship" with the patriotic anthem as performed by Smith, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1982.

"The NHL principle ‘Hockey is for Everyone' is at the heart of everything the Flyers stand for," said Flyers president Paul Holmgren in the statement. "As a result, we cannot stand idle while material from another era gets in the way of who we are today."

On Friday, the Flyers said Smith's "God Bless America" recording had been removed from their library, following the lead of the New York Yankees, who announced they suspended the use of Smith's rendition during the seventh-inning stretch while they investigate an allegation of racism against the late singer.

Smith's connection with the Flyers started in 1969 when a team executive declared that her version of "God Bless America" be played instead of "The Star-Spangled Banner." That led to Smith performing the song several times before games in the 1970s including prior to Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final. Philadelphia beat Boston in that game to win its first of back-to-back titles. The team erected the statue in 1987, a year after her death.

--Field Level Media