One of the more significant announcements is the NHL and NHLPA will work in partnership with the recently formed Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA), founded by nine players of color who are active or former NHLers. The commitment to the HDA-the impetus group behind last week's playoff game boycotts-is to establish and administer the "first-of-its kind" grassroots hockey development program to provide mentorship and skills growth for BIPOC boys and girls in the greater Toronto area. The NHL, NHLPA and HDA have agreed to start a similar pilot program in a U.S. region to be determined.
In a timely action step, the NHL intends to encourage and inform hockey fans about their right to vote by assisting its teams across the U.S. and Canada to promote active citizenship and provide team venues as polling places in elections. The league plans to collaborate with two specific non-partisan organizations to focus on voter education with a short-term goal to increase participation in the U.S. elections this fall and longer-term goal to do the same in all U.S. and Canada elections. Several teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks, have already announced voter education and activation plans.
One organization is "When We All Vote" (WWAV). It is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization on a mission to "increase participation in every election and to change the culture around voting." With the NHL, WWAV will plot strategies such as amplifying educational voting resources via league-wide digital platforms and social media channels, plus offering league and team employees to "further educate themselves about the voting landscape" via learning sessions.
The other organization, RISE, is a nonprofit that uses sport to address racism and empower the sports community to use its voice to achieve real change. In its ongoing partnership with RISE, the league said Thursday it will host public-facing virtual panels to underscore the importance of voting and participating in the electoral process. Another RISE effort will connect NHL teams to resources and information needed to generate voting activations in each team's local market. The NHL committed to "designate 2020 U.S. Election Day and future general election days in both Canada and the U.S. as company-wide off-days to make it easier for our staff to vote" and call attention to vote days.
There are several more programs and actions, including the NHL and the NHLPA will schedule mandatory inclusion and diversity training for all NHL players and NHLPA staff members during training camp and the first part of the 2020-21 season. All league employees will participate in an inclusion learning experience, conducted by White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP), focusing on anti-racism, unconscious bias, dimensions of identity, microaggressions and cultural competency.
The league has formed the Executive Inclusion Council (EIC), which includes owners, former players, team and league executives. The council, co-chaired by Buffalo Sabres owner Kim Pegula and Gary Bettman, will seek "more inclusive thinking and more inclusive outcomes throughout the hockey ecosystem by candidly assessing its current state." This council will emphasize metrics and accountability for purpose of measuring results and progress.
The league has created three committees to represent key constituencies - the Player Inclusion Committee (PIC), co-chaired by New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and ex-NHLer and hockey analyst Anson Carter, is comprised of current and former NHL and women's national team players. The Fan Inclusion Committee (FIC) and the Youth Hockey Inclusion Committee (YHIC) will each develop "action-oriented solutions that positively impact the access, opportunity and experiences that underrepresented groups have in the game - and in the business - of hockey."
