NHL Fans Take A Knee After Players Remain Standing During Anthems
Hockey is back in Canada, as the NHL is officially set to kick off Saturday night in the newly minted hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton. But fans are already calling out the league for its inaction on the Black Lives Matter and racial injustice during early exhibition games.
Like other major sports leagues, including MLB and the NBA, the NHL is returning to a vastly changed world when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.
Players in other leagues have taken a knee during the national anthem or, in the case of the NBA, have worn slogans like “Black Lives Matter” and “remember their names” on their game jerseys, Fans across Canada and the U.S., however, have noticed the lack of kneeling during the anthem during this week’s NHL exhibition game action.
And they were not happy.
Today, we as hockey fans need to #Kneel4Hockey if we really want #HockeyIsForEveryone to be true. I love the sport, but work needs to be done to make the game open, accepting, and available to everyone.
Support #BlackLivesMatter and @BlackGirlHockey 🏒 pic.twitter.com/21I4W9Ojld— Joe Ginley (@JoeGinley) July 31, 2020
#BlackLivesMatter #Kneel4Hockey https://t.co/0F1AxLqeD5 pic.twitter.com/NEdvWiEcMN
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) July 31, 2020
This proud Oiler fan kneels in solidarity with his Black brothers and sisters. #BlackLivesMatter #Kneel4Hockey #HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/VPIgP2iufw
— Kevin Shafer (@shafer_soc) July 31, 2020
Many shared images with a version of the caption “if the league won’t do it, I will.”
If the league won’t do it, I will. #BlackLivesMatter #Kneel4Hockey pic.twitter.com/WS2SJIegGD
— Brayden (@Engel_Brayden) July 31, 2020
If the players won’t, I will #Kneel4Hockey. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/SXxfZQhtvS
— Jillian Fisher (@FisherJillian) July 31, 2020
Many fans also specifically called out the league’s inaction on racial injustice in general.
I kneel because others won’t. I kneel because the NHL has refused to acknowledge the racism and injustices that are so prevalent in hockey culture #Kneel4Hockey #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/jOhW8FxK5r
— From Tape to Tape (@fromtapetotape) July 31, 2020
I #Kneel4Hockey because I want the NHL to act on their words. Because I want its players to use their voice #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/6VtfM2U4gT
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) July 31, 2020
If the @nhl isn’t going to get it right, we’ll have to. #IKneelForNazem #BlackLivesMatter #POCMatter @43_Kadri pic.twitter.com/U8TnyTbSFn
— Mark Norman (@MNorman87) July 31, 2020
On Wednesday, Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri said he wants to see more concrete action from the league on issues of racial injustice.
“We’re all trying to make it better. We’re trying to make the game more diverse and the diversity in the game doesn’t happen with racism still going on. So that’s an important thing for us to address,” he told TSN.
“As players we have addressed that. From a league standpoint, you know, I think we’d like to see a little bit more acknowledgement and having them address the situation and know that they stand with their players.”
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The league announced the “#WeSkateFor” initiative, where players can choose a specific cause or person to “skate for.” But many say it’s far from enough.
Earlier this week, San Jose Sharks player Evander Kane called out the league explicitly for failing its Black players.
“The NHL can put ‘Black Lives Matter’ all over the rink, shout ‘Black Lives Matter’ from the mountains,” Kane told TSN. “No matter what they do or say, it’s all going to fall on deaf ears with me and every other person [...] because the league has made no effort to support its own Black players.”
It seems many fans saw the lack of kneeling during the anthem as another instance of that. The symbolic gesture first emerged with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. His choice to kneel during the national anthem became a movement among athletes, but also led to his eventual ostracization from the NFL.
From a league standpoint, you know, I think we’d like to see a little bit more acknowledgement and having them address the situation and know that they stand with their players. NHL player Nazem Kadri
Following NBA games this week, where all players and coaches kneeled together in solidarity, many players explicitly referenced Kaepernick and his movement.
“I hope we made Kaep proud,” L.A. Lakers player LeBron James said.
Not everyone was opposed to the choice to remain standing though.
The choice for NHL players to remain standing during the anthems was praised by U.S. president Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump, who Tweeted his thanks to the NHL.
Thank you @NHL#Standing 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Q6KgQx7ED8
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) July 30, 2020
Fans were quick to point out the sharp contrast between actions in the NBA and Trump’s support of the NHL.
Meanwhile, Eric Trump is thanking the NHL for standing in their “protest.”
So, so weak from the NHL. https://t.co/SFlQHQN5uv— Brian Fraser (@brianpfraser) July 31, 2020
The revised NHL season officially kicks off in Edmonton and Toronto Saturday night.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost Canada and has been updated.