The NHL is Failing Society

When George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis this May, it set off protests across the world that are still going on today.

The protests are seeking to raise awareness of the ongoing racial violence towards minority communities in the United States, and in particular African American communities, at the hands of law enforcement.

NHL players, though usually quiet on social issues, were vocal in their support for Black Lives Matter, with stars like Jonathan Toews and Tyler Seguin posting powerful statements, as well as more personal statements from players of colour including Nazem Kadri and J.T Brown, the latter a Minnesota native and at the time the only player to have protested racism during the anthem of an NHL game. It wasn’t just the superstars and players of colour raising their voices, as former Senators Kyle Turris and Zack Smith both released a statement.

At the time, the reaction to the sudden activist tendencies among NHL players was positive but cautious. The outpouring of support for racial justice by pro hockey players was unlike anything the league had seen before, but the praise for the players and the league was qualified with observers asking if they would take the next step after they had educated themselves.

Well, it’s been three months and so far not much has changed. There was a powerful speech at the beginning of the play-in round by Matt Dumba, who then knelt during the anthem and raised a fist on the bench in subsequent games, as well as four players, including Ryan Reaves and the aforementioned Tyler Seguin, taking a knee during the anthem before the Stars and Golden Knights faced off in round-robin play. As the NHL returned, it seemed that, while still imperfect, the league seemed to be moving in the right direction.

But then the playoffs got underway and the support for racial justice began to fade. Dumba’s Minnesota Wild were bounced in four games by the Canucks while the Dallas and Vegas players who knelt for the anthem have seemed to have decided it was only a one-time thing. Maybe that was to be expected though, as the NHL is the whitest sports league in North America, and while you’re in a bubble playing for a championship, there’s little to bring your attention to the outside world.

But the illusion was shattered just a few days ago, as another black man, this time named Jacob Blake, was shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin after breaking up a fight. Blake is still in hospital and the severity of his situation is unclear, but it was a jarring reminder of what Black Lives Matter is fighting against: the killing of black men and women by police, which amount to nothing short of lynchings.

The NBA got it, with the Raptors and Celtics ruling out nothing, not even an all-out boycott of their second-round series, as I write this, the Bucks, Magic and other teams are starting to boycott their first-round games. Even though they’re just in training camp, the NFL’s Detroit Lions sent a message that the status quo is unacceptable, cancelling practice Tuesday to protest outside the stadium. But as far as the NHL goes, there has been near-complete silence. The Golden Knights, who were one of the most important teams in the early protests, have yet to post anything their Twitter account on the subject of racial justice since the Jacob Blake shooting, and as far as the media narrative surrounding the team goes, the dominant stories are about social media posts from an agent and by a player.

Maybe it was for the best that there were no sports to distract us back in May. If there were, players could have been silent, there would have been a moment of silence before the first slew of games, and then we would have all moved on to analyzing line combinations and Conn Smythe candidates. But as fun as this month has been with sports back, it’s time to understand that there are bigger things than sports, like the NBA players going on strike in the middle of their playoffs have.

As far as the Senators go, their Twitter page has been nothing but interactive polls, and press releases about the new Senators Community Foundation. The only thing signalling they are even aware of the existence of people of colour was a birthday wish to Anthony Duclair. This level of obliviousness would be problematic at best, but considering that the team may draft a future black superstar in Quinton Byfield, the lack of support that seems to be in place for him, both within the Sens organization and the sport in general, is horrifying.

Wednesday morning, we were reminded once again of the lack of awareness from hockey players yet again, this time it was Sharks’ captain Logan Couture who decided it would be the proper time to complain about the lack of civility in politics, even as two protestors were killed in Kenosha. Back in May, Couture was one of many players who released a statement in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, in the statement Couture promised he would “learn” more on the subject of racial injustice.

Looking back at the myriad of statements that came out at the time, the language of “listening and learning” was front and centre in many of them. But now, as the number of black men and women killed by police continues to grow, it’s time for them to show their work.