Ukrainian Hockey League GM Fired In Wake Of Player's Racist Taunt

The general manager of the Ukrainian Hockey League is now out of a job ... he was just fired -- and he claims it's all because of the way he reacted to a player's racist, on-ice gesture.

Eugene Kolychev revealed he was canned in a series of tweets Thursday ... appearing to say he and the league did not see eye-to-eye over the way he spoke out against Andrei Deniskin's abhorrent banana-peeling gesture and subsequent suspension.

"I have spoken openly about #racism in Ukrainian hockey and the Ukrainian Hockey Federation FIRED me as General Manager of the #UHL today," Kolychev said.

"Will it solve the problem? No. Will it silence me? NO!"

Kolychev continued, "My voice has been ignored in the decision over the penalty against Andrei Deniskin, who showed a racist gesture to @jalen_smereck"

Kolychev was unhappy with Deniskin from the get-go ... blasting the hockey player immediately after he taunted Jalen Smereck, who is Black, with a banana-eating motion during their game last Sunday.

And, when the league suspended Deniskin only a handful of games as punishment for the gesture, Kolychev did not seem happy about that on his social media page, either.

Kolychev, though, said despite losing his job ... he's still going to forge on in his battle to help stop racism.

"I am publicly appealing to the @IIHFHockey to conduct its own investigation of the incident and help #endracism. Jalen, we got your back!"