Milbury has received criticism from Hemal Jhaveri for comments he made about P. K. Subban, who is black, in 2017. In April, Milbury said Subban deserved a "rap on the head" for his pre-game warm-up routine, a comment viewed by Hemal Jhaveri of "USA Today" as racist. During a 2017 Stanley Cup Finals game in June between Subban's Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Subban and Sidney Crosby engaged in a fight that ended with Subban's head bouncing off the ice. Milbury said after the game that Subban "had it coming." When the series moved to Nashville, several fans taunted Milbury over his comments, including some who claimed NBC tried to "bribe" them with a hat in return for handing over their signs that were critical of Milbury which might be picked up on camera.