Kings Sorry for Selling Turkish-Made Scarves on Annual Armenian Heritage Night

The Los Angeles Kings have apologized amid controversy over the origin of the scarves they gave out to fans during the team's 5–3 win over the Utah Hockey Club on its annual Armenian Heritage Night on Feb. 22.

The scarves were manufactured in Turkey, with whom Armenia has strained relations stemming from the Ottoman Empire's actions in World War I.

During the conflict, Ottoman actors killed around a million Armenians in death marches and mass deportations; 34 nations have reflected the historical consensus by recognizing the killings collectively as a genocide, a characterization Turkey has long rejected.

"We... want to sincerely apologize to all our friends in the Armenian (community) and beyond for the oversight that may have inadvertently impacted your experience during what should’ve been a joyous celebration," the Kings said Saturday in a statement picked up by the AP Monday. "We source, stock and sell merchandise from a select list of manufacturers that are officially licensed by the league, and we were unaware of the item’s production origin."

The Los Angeles area is widely recognized as the center of Armenian-American cultural life as the home to the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia.