Minnesota Wildlife Defender Matt Dumba and San Jose Sharks striker Evander Kane criticized the NHL over their response to Jacob Blake’s shooting, while several games in the NBA, WNBA and MLB were postponed because players decided not to to be seen in protest of police brutality.
Dumba was among the NHL players who took a knee when the league recaptured them from the coronavirus pandemic that completely shut down sports. He told Sportsnet he was disappointed by the league’s response.
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“The NHL is always last for the party on these issues,” said Dumba, who is a founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. “It’s a bit sad and depressing for me and for members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and I’m sure for other guys in the league. But if no one comes up and does something, then it’s the same. That silence. You are just out there, looking to be real leaders and call for real change when you have such an opportunity to do so.
‘It’s so much bigger than sports. In hockey, there it comes back to: You just rely on the boys of the minority to step up and say it. But what would really make the most impact is that strong White leaders stepped up from teams and heard their 2 cents. All the other White kids who grow up watching her, who may be her biggest fans, can look up and say, ‘Wow, if he sees this and tries to stand up and listen, why am I not so good ? Why do I persist in this ignorance or hatred I feel against a subject I may not know all about? ‘”
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Kane expressed a similar sentiment in an interview on Sportsnet.
‘I’m going to be honest, I have not really heard much about the attempted murder of Jacob Blake. It’s a shame, we’re talking about another black man who is unarmed being shot in the back for his children. But again, we had these conversations earlier with the assassination of George Floyd to continue the conversation, promote the conversation, everyone wants to be better and make sure we talk more often and that we can move forward better. ‘Here’s unfortunately another example, but it’s also another example of the lack of concern regarding our league and our players and our media who handle our game,’ said Kane.
Players from Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars also said the league needed more.
“We support and applaud the NBA,” said Nazem Kadri in Colorado. “I understand that this is a problem that has been going on for too long … Eventually becoming obsolete. It’s about action and making a difference.”
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Dallas’ Tyler Seguin added, “I support what’s happening, I support the movement. And I think hockey honestly needs to do more. But I think we can all see our actions in different ways.”
No NHL games were postponed, although a moment of silence was observed.
