The NHL has moved into Phase Two of their return to play plan. Players have begun limited optional workouts at their NHL facilities, with restrictions in place to combat COVID-19.
If all goes well, the objective is to contest a Stanley Cup tournament featuring 24 of the NHL’s 31 teams.
However, another situation that is affecting hockey, and society as a whole for that matter, is also concerning the NHL and its players.
NHL players of color want the league to support their activism against racism, even if they decide to make a form of political protest during the pregame national anthems, similar to what Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players opted to do in recent years by taking a knee.
“The league should support its players and that’s the bottom line, being in countries that pride themselves on freedom of speech,” Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri told TSN.
Kadri is of Lebanese descent and has dealt with his share of racial slurs during his hockey-playing days.
“Silent hate has been spread across the world for too many years now and it’s important for us players who believe the same things to stick together,” Kadri said. “Whatever players want to do to voice their opinions, those are the same opinions that help grow the leagues and make the NHL, the NBA, the NFL, the leagues they are today. Without the players, the leagues would be nothing.”
Hockey Diversity Alliance
Seven black hockey players banded together earlier this week to form the Hockey Diversity Alliance. Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks and former NHLer Akim Aliu are the leaders of the group, which also includes Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild, Chris Stewart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Trevor Daley of the Detroit Red Wings, Wayne Simmonds of the Buffalo Sabres and former NHLer Joel Ward.
Their goal is to promote diversity within the game and to eliminate racism from hockey.
“We don’t want to wait for something to happen because, to be honest, I’ve been waiting for 11 years,” Kane told Sportsnet. “I’m fed up. Because the narrative has always been controlled by the upper echelon. I think this is a great opportunity for us to create our own narrative and (change) the way people think and the culture of our sport.”
Currently, their alliance is not officially associated with the NHL but the players hope to open a dialogue and be able to work alongside the NHL to help develop and promote projects designed to diversify the game.
“I think that we can bring that into the league office,” Ward told Sportsnet. “We’re also trying to promote diversity all across (the sport), just speaking with the youth and making the game more accessible, more affordable.”
The genesis of this idea came earlier during the 2019-20 season when Aliu went public with revelations about how he’d been racially slurred in 2009 by his coach Bill Peters while playing in the AHL for the Rockford IceHogs, a farm club of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Peters, who was coaching the Calgary Flames at the time, was dismissed by the team.
“Years ago there wasn’t really much movement,” Ward added. “I think I understood what (Kaepernick) was doing. I think a lot of people didn’t and nobody really piped up and now three years later it’s catching on. I don’t know if it’s just because of the time or what have you.”
Wild forward J.T. Brown was the only NHL player to make any gesture of support during Kaepernick’s protest. He raised his fist during the Star-Spangled Banner in a 2017 game while playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Signs that racial inequality still exists in the hockey world were evidenced earlier this spring. New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller was bombarded with racial slurs from a hacker while taking part in a Zoom meeting with Rangers fans.
Aliu Spoke Out
Aliu followed up his revelations about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Peters by penning a piece for The Players’ Tribune. Aliu entitled the essay “Hockey Is Not For Everyone“, a clear snub of the NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone program designed to promote diversity within the game.
“If you’re a junior hockey coach, or a minor league coach, or a player, or a fan, and you’re a racist, you should have no place in the game,” Aliu wrote. “Period. Everyone should stand up and say, ‘Enough. Get him out.’ That should be the end of it.”
The members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance hope to change the way hockey approaches racism, and as Aliu suggested, get those who aren’t open to everyone participating in the game out of the game.
“We are hopeful that anyone who puts on skates or sits in the stands will do so without worrying about race, gender or socioeconomic background and will be able to express their culture, identity, values, and personality without fear of retribution,” Kane said.
It’s something they’ve all experienced. By banding together, their hope is that they can ensure future generations of visible minorities playing hockey won’t have to experience such hatred.
“We’ve all seen and experienced racism ourselves at some level of the game and we just actually thought it was important now,” Ward said. “With everything that’s going on right now, it’s time for us to unite and try to improve our game for future generations.”
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