Avalanche Players Join in League Solidarity to End Racial Injustice

The players of the Colorado Avalanche joined those of other NHL teams in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto in a show of unity to end systemic racism.
There were no Stanley Cup Playoff games played on Thursday and there won't be any on Friday either, as the players came together to protest racial injustice in today's society that has again come to the forefront after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday, Aug. 23. Blake joins Elijah McClain, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless others that have died or been seriously injured due to police brutality, and the millions of people in the United States, Canada and around the globe that continue to face prejudice because of their race.
"Some things are bigger than sports. There comes a time where you got to start acting on your word," said Nazem Kadri of the Avalanche on Thursday afternoon. "You can say [your support], put up signs, and have all that stuff, which is great, but at the end of the day what are we really doing to make a difference? It's that time for action."

A display of solidarity to help influence positive change in society was demonstrated in news conferences for both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference teams on Thursday afternoon. In Edmonton, Alberta, it appeared as if every player from the Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights was present and standing behind their club representatives during the media availability at Rogers Place.
"Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences," the NHL and the NHL Players' Association said in a joint statement released on Thursday afternoon. "The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice.
"We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society."

The Avalanche was represented at the press conference by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Kadri, and they were joined at the mic with Ryan Reaves of the Golden Knights, Jason Dickinson of the Stars and Bo Horvat of the Canucks. While Bellemare, Kadri and the other three players answered media questions via video conference, the message of the entire group of players was clear. They have had enough and chose to pause the postseason to further the conversation of racism and become more educated on the impact it has at the rink and in communities.
"The reason why we're here right now is because there's nobody in this room happy about what is happening," Bellemare said. "You can change the five guys in front of the mic, it would be the same answers, and that is the key."
It didn't matter that the Avalanche is playing Dickinson's Stars in a fierce second-round series or that the Golden Knights and Canucks are the doing the same. The players want to help continue the dialogue about the prolonged racism that is evident in North America and are using their platform to discuss it, much like their fellow athletes in the NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS have done as well.

Standing in front of his peers in the Edmonton bubble and with the support of other players not in the West's hub city, Kadri is proud of how those involved in the sport are taking a step back to continue to listen and educate themselves and others of the injustices that are present in minority communities.
"I think this is a big enough statement, all of these guys sticking together. I got so much more respect for every single player in this league by doing something like this," Kadri said. "Obviously systemic racism, we can use these next couple days to further educate ourselves and try to [do it] for the betterment of society. It's something that needed to be done, and hockey is a team sport, a team game, and every single one of these guys are on the same page and stand with each other."
The coaches and the teams themselves are fully in support of the movement and the players' decision to pause play.
"I'm proud of them for taking the time to get together. Not just with the players here in our bubble, but also with the players out east (in Toronto), and then getting together and coming up with an informed decision to stop today," said Colorado head coach Jared Bednar. "Obviously our club and coaching staff supports the decision they came up with. I think when you get together as a group, again not just players in this bubble but players out east, it sends a strong message."

Kadri--a Muslim that was born in London, Ontario, and is of Lebanese descent after his father immigrated to Canada as a young child--is on the forefront of trying to end racism in the sport as one of the founding members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. Created in June of this year, the HDA pledges to eliminate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey and help introduce the game to a new generation of players.
The Hockey Diversity Alliance has already had meetings with the NHL on how to foster more inclusivity in the game and the sport's role in also doing so in society.
"Just being a member of the HDA, I think we have certain initiatives and policies that we would like the NHL to act on. We feel that it's very reasonable," Kadri said. "Unfortunately I can't dive too much into specifics, but there is a plan. Moving forward, we want the NHL to understand that this is a partnership, a collaborative effort to create sustainable change. Moving forward, it is going to have to be the whole league, it is going to have to be collectively, not just one or two guys, strength in numbers is key. In order to make serious change that is what is going to need to happen."
Bellemare--a Black man from Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, that has heritage to the Caribbean island of Martinique--says having conversations about racism in 2020 can be difficult for players, coaches, fans and even families, but it is imperative that the talks be had to lead to change.
"It's not an easy subject, it's an awkward subject for a lot of people and the fact that we're all here together right now, it's going to bring a lot of awareness," Bellemare said. "There will be a lot of questions asked, and it's going to be able to help everybody educate themselves."

Those discussions have already started with the Avalanche, and they will continue to be had with a focus on how everyone can do a better job of curtailing hatred and discrimination of others based on their appearance.
"What I like about our team is guys like Naz and P-E Bellemare, they've started conversations in our locker room," said Bednar. "There's players, coaches, we're getting educated on different views and sharing ideas to try and bring change. Even if it's just education for our team and sparks ideas on how we can get out in our communities and help, I think it's positive."
Speaking while wearing a sweatshirt with the words "Cassius Clay" on the front of it, Kadri is fighting for change just like Clay--who changed his name to Muhammed Ali--did throughout his life. Ali used his platform as undoubtably the world's greatest boxer to help spread awareness of injustice during the civil rights movement, and Kadri, Bellemare, their Colorado teammates and the league's other players are aiming to do the same today.
"As leaders up here with the NHL, I think we have a unique opportunity to try to create sustainable change, and that is what it's all about. It's not just one or two guys, it's every single player being on the same page and sticking together," Kadri said. "Morally and ethically, this is the right thing to do."

The players, their union and the NHL are committed to change, and while steps forward can be made during this break in the playoffs, more than a select amount of individuals are needed for real progress.
The movement needs the help of fans, players, coaches and other members of the hockey community to put words into action.
"Those two days, we know they are not going to change everything right now, but the main point is we're all here and we're aware of what is going on and it has to stop," said Bellemare. "It is the message that we're sending to our organizations, the NHL, that we want to work together to take a better step, different step and make sure this never happens again. The HDA has a plan, and it's up to us after the bubble, every player, the organizations, that we work together with our communities to make sure it gets better and better."