Premier League, Europe, & World Champion; LFC

brazil, england, finland, australia, new zealand, and norway are now all paying their men’s and women’s teams equally 👏👏

Of course, these are my interpretations so maybe there’s something I don’t know or didn’t see.

Visibility is important in order to solidify presence, literally and figuratively. It also acts as a vehicle for continued conversation. BIPOC hockey players especially need visible and direct support considering hockey’s own problems with racism. White NHL players are not showing up right now even if they may be doing anti-racism work off-ice in their personal lives before and/or since the current BLM movement. They have an opportunity to use their largest public platform and to be visible leaders for the sport of hockey. The biggest names in hockey currently are white and their privilege could be used for impactful change in the sport for BIPOC players at all levels. The pressure on league action/change needs to come from white players considering the league is overwhelmingly comprised as such. That’s also what makes the NHL different than other leagues where we are seeing a lot of visibility like the WNBA and NBA because their star players are Black/minority players who are not shy about using their platforms for racial justice - they understand it is a privilege not available to the majority of BIPOC communities. I will acknowledge this doesn’t mean white NHL players may not show up later.

All of this just really feels like another punch to the gut as a POC hockey fan and let me be clear I am NOT surprised but I keep feeling a kind of pain for which words fall short. Telling BIPOC hockey fans (and ally fans) that we shouldn’t have expected anything more doesn’t stop the pain, instead those statements normalize the lack of meaningful action.

I expected Kadri and Dumba would show up in some way since they’re both part of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. This expectation is unfair because the fight for racial justice so often falls on the shoulders of BIPOC. There would be no progress without BIPOC taking a stand against racism and that's a harsh reality that is not a secret.

I can’t imagine how hard this simple demonstration might’ve been for Greenway, Kadri, Dumba and Bellemare as Black and minority players. It probably took a lot of courage to do anything because they knew they would likely be the only ones making a visible statement at that game for the sole fact that racism affects their lives and the lives of those who look like them in hockey and society. I understand white NHL players are in uncharted territory and might be unsure how they should be acting but discomfort is not acceptable especially since so many issued statements on BLM with good intentions. It’s time to back up those intentions boldly and to demand accountability from the league and clubs instead of neutral comforts like linking arms or standing in a circle (as the Canucks and Jets did). The work starts where you are. Neutrality and comfort is a privilege BIPOC do not have.

When JT Brown rose his fist in 2017 he received no support from the league or the majority of fans. It was likely not easy to even consider doing, let alone actually do, and to then take the backlash that followed. He was not comfortable. Protest by nature is uncomfortable because it requires challenging systems of power that would much rather continue on as is.

Greenway, Kadri, Dumba and Bellemare were uncomfortable.

Everyone else was comfortable. The league is comfortable.

if youre an artist who cant afford photoshop definitely DO NOT go to my google drive to pirate the program, that would be so bad!!!

This article touches on a lot of issues about how the NHL is failing to listen to players of color, the same players that are being forced to call out the league and face its backlash because white players don’t see the problem and don’t care enough to take the heat. Here are some of the (shortened) main points:

“The NHL can put ‘Black Lives Matter’ all over the rink, shout ‘Black Lives Matter’ from the mountains,” Kane said this week in a phone interview. “No matter what they do or say, it’s all going to fall on deaf ears with me and every other person in the HDA because the league has made no effort to support its own Black players.”

Kane said the NHL’s “#WeSkateFor” – with a blank ending to be filled in by players and teams – dilutes the HDA’s campaign to eradicate racism across hockey by broadening the social scope. “We support all of those issues and we always have,” Kane said. “But this is the NHL’s campaign to talk about our issue. They’re trying to wrap all of these separate issues – including mental health, LGTBQ, women’s rights, everything – into one, when our message is about racism. It completely yet again misses the mark and is so out of touch with what we’re talking about.” Kane said the HDA was not advised of or consulted on the NHL’s #WeSkateFor initiative, nor has it been involved or asked for an opinion or advice on Saturday’s Qualifying Round-opening messaging.