Before the puck dropped on the Stanley Cup Qualifiers Saturday, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse shared a message about his experiences with racism and his hope for the future.
Nurse, who comes from a family of pro athletes, including his dad, former CFL wide receiver Richard Nurse, sister, WNBA player Kia Nurse and cousin, pro hockey player Sarah Nurse, posted about some of the challenges he's endured during his career.
Along with the caption was a photo of himself and two of his teammates. As he noted in his social media message, the photo meant a lot to him because it featured him with Kailer Yamamoto, who is of Japanese and Hawaiian descent, and Ethan Bear, who grew up on the Ochapowace Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
But even as the game is becoming more diverse, Nurse said there's still a long way to go before racism in hockey is no longer an issue.
Before the Oilers' Stanley Cup Qualifier series against the Chicago Blackhawks began, Nurse joined Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban in laying a hand on the shoulder of Minnesota Wild forward Matt Dumba as he kneeled for the American national anthem after giving a speech about fighting to end racism.
Here is what Nurse had to say on his Instagram post:
"These last few months have been filled with lots of uncomfortable conversations for many and realizations of how we need to be better for others. I have been fortunate to grow up in a family that has supported me and been there for me when having to face some of the racism in sport. There have been times my mother and father have had to stand up to remarks about their biracial son in the stands, there have been times in which I've had to sit in that dark lonely place in my head after being called the n-word and there have been times my teammates have stood up for me because of the words and actions of opponents. I cannot tell you how much the support of my family and teammates meant in those situations. These examples aren't to say poor me but instead shed light on some of my personal experiences which I am sure many share with me. Experiences that have been a part of every stage of playing hockey. These are things as a human being I hope one day can become a thing of the past.
I have been fortunate to play alongside some unbelievable teammates of all different races but I'm especially proud to play on a team during these times that has so many different cultures. I look at the picture above and see 3 minority players in this league enjoying the greatest game on earth. This is a picture my grandparents, immigrants from Trinidad, probably never thought they'd see.
With all that said, we need to continue this discussion on equality and make hard changes for the better. I am an optimistic person, always have and always will be and I am optimistic about what we can all achieve. But let's not turn the conversation into a sense of contentment because we still have a lot of change to go.
Enjoy the playoffs it really is the best time of the year! But don't forget about the change that we can all be a part of."
