Dumba kneels during anthem, speaks out against racism at Qualifiers

Matt Dumba knelt during the U.S. national anthem Saturday after vowing that the NHL and the Hockey Diversity Alliance will stand up for justice and against racism.

The Minnesota Wild defenseman spoke at center ice at Rogers Place in Edmonton before the Edmonton Oilers faced the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their best-of-5 series in the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

Oilers and Blackhawks players surrounded Dumba, who is Filipino-Canadian, as he spoke. When the U.S. anthem was played, Dumba dropped to one knee. Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who are Black Canadians, stood beside him and put their hands on his shoulders.

"During this pandemic, something unexpected but long overdue occurred: The world woke up to the existence of systemic racism and how deeply rooted it is within our society," Dumba said. "Racism is a man-made creation and all it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. Racism is everywhere. Racism is everywhere and we need to fight against it.

"On behalf of the NHL and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, we vow and promise to stand up for justice and fight for what is right. I know first-hand as a minority playing the great game of hockey the unexplainable and difficult challenge that come with it. The Hockey Diversity Alliance and the NHL want kids to feel safe, comfortable and free-minded every time they enter an arena. I stand in front of you today on behalf of those groups and promise you that we will fight against injustice and fight for what is right."

Dumba wore a black hoodie with the Hockey Diversity Alliances initials in white letters. The alliance, a group of current and former NHL players, was formed in June with a mission to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey.

He ended his speech saying "Black Lives Matter," the life of Breonna Taylor, a Black emergency medical technician who was fatally shot by police who stormed into her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 23, matters, and "hockey is a great game but it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us."

Dumba reflected on his speech hours later following the Wild's practice in preparation for facing the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL TV, SN, FS-N, FS-W).

"I still don't know if I realize yet the magnitude of it all and the number of people I talked to," he said. "Obviously, it was a little different scene in the arena, having no fans there and just kind of having players from other teams or GMs and brass kind of looking down on me with me in the center with a spotlight on me. It was kind of hard to wrap my head around it. I think this is damn sure the most people I could get a message across to and I'm thankful that people are able to hear me out."

He's also thankful that he was able to get through the experience because "I had all sorts of nerves, I kind of felt like a fighter going into the ring or something. It felt like my first playoff game ever, that's the kind of nerves that set it."

Dumba repeatedly practiced his speech in a Rogers Place tunnel for about 20 minutes before going onto the ice. He had it written on cards that he had in his hoodie, but he didn't want to use them.

Wild teammates Alex Galchenyuk and Jonas Brodin kept him company in the tunnel as he practiced and paced.

"I think [Galchenyuk] said it right before, 'Bro, if you kill this, if you do this, you'll be ready, ready for tomorrow,'" Dumba said. "I'm happy that I was able to do that, come away with the results and impact that I did. I hope I planted a seed for generations to come and for people to really think about some of the things I said."

Dumba explained why he knelt for the U.S. anthem but stood for the Canadian anthem.

"To be honest, I kind of froze up," Dumba said. "I know why I knelt. It wasn't a sign of disrespect by any means. It was to shed light on the people who have live through the injustice and oppression, especially in my home state of Minnesota. That's why I did it.

"I think my biggest regret is not doing it for the Canadian national anthem, as well because there is a lot of light that needs to be shed on what is happening in Canada and the oppression First Nations people have felt for hundreds of years. I was disappointed looking back on it because, like I said, I knew the reasons why I knelt. Just in the moment, it happened like that."

Former Tampa Bay Lightning forward JT Brown, who raised his fist to the air to protest police brutality during the playing of the U.S. national anthem at an Oct. 7, 2017 game against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida, said he was moved by Dumba's words and actions Saturday.

"I thought it was powerful, especially the speech -- I thought it was moving," said Brown, who plays for the Wild's American Hockey League affiliate in Iowa. "A true sign of support, I thought it was awesome. Having [Subban's and Nurse's] hands on his shoulders, was good for them to show their support for Dumba but also acknowledging what he was doing and, I guess, how brave it was to do that and speak on a national level."

Dumba said Sunday that will raise his fist for each anthem for the rest of the Qualifiers, and Stanley Cup Playoffs if the Wild advance. Minnesota, the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference, plays Game 1 of their best-of-5 qualifier series against the No. 7 Vancouver Canucks on Sunday (10:30 p.m. ET: NBCSN, NHL.TV, SN, FS-N, FS-WI).

"(JT Brown and I) talked and if you're not in the starting lineup, you might be on the bench and if I kneel I might be on the bench and not even able to see me...I will be raising a fist for the rest of the tournament," Dumba said.

Several NHL players and coaches commended Dumba for his words and poise Saturday.

"What Dumba did today was incredibly powerful, it was outstanding," Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said. "As players in the League, we just want to give him support."

Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Dumba's speech "was terrific and so well done in a difficult time."

"To be able to articulate a message like that was really good," Keefe said. "But we have to follow it up with action to have progress."

The NHL opened the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers Saturday with a loud and clear message: We Skate For Black Lives.

"We Skate For Black Lives" and "We Skate for Equality" flashed across the scoreboard and screens at Rogers Place during a ceremony before the Oilers-Blackhawks game.

The pregame ceremony kicked off the NHL's salute to racial justice activists and healthcare workers on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic throughout the Qualifiers and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As part of the NHL's #WeSkateFor initiative, all 32 teams and players will honor and celebrate community heroes, health care workers and racial justice activists through various local and national programs and activities, including charitable donation drives, social media campaigns and using the hashtag #WeSkateFor and pregame acknowledgements.

Players wore #WeSkateFor Equality helmet decals in support of Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements. They also received a hoodie to personalize with the name of whom or what he skates for.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, in a message to fans on NHL.com, said the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died while in custody of the Minneapolis police on May 25, and the "ensuing demand for justice and equality that inspiringly swept our countries, required us to accept that what we have done to this point isn't enough."

"So we must and will do more and be better to make our game a welcoming place for everyone," Bettman said.

Kim Davis, the NHL's senior executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs, said Saturday's events are part of efforts by the League and its players to convert the emotion from Floyd's death into concrete long-term action.

"We won't simply judge ourselves based on this campaign in the next few days," she said. "We are committed to substantive, long-term action, which is hard work, takes time, but moves the needle on both structural and individual racism and inequality in our game," she said.

The League amplified its message of racial justice and diversity with a video unveiled before Game 1 of the best-of-5 qualifying series between the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins in Toronto.

The video featured images of San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, co-head of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones, New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and other Black NHL players.

It also showed the Toronto Maple Leafs wearing Black Lives Matters T-shirts and individual players participating in demonstrations in their cities after Floyd's death.

"In hockey, we often let our effort, determination and passion to win do the talking," NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes said in the video's voiceover. "But when an issue is bigger than the game we must speak out, starting with three words we need to get comfortable saying: Black Lives Matter."