Stars’ Tyler Seguin hits the streets in Dallas to protest with Black Lives Matter

Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin attended a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas on Thursday.

NHL teams and players continue to speak out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the days and weeks following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. While many of these statements and reactions have been a mixed bag from the league, one of the major allies that has come forward has been Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin.

On Thursday, Seguin was seen protesting in downtown Dallas with Black Lives Matter, becoming one of the only NHL players to publicly join a protest in the aftermath of Floyd’s murder. Stars beat reporter for The Athletic, Sean Shapiro, also stated that Seguin attended a silent mourning for Floyd earlier as well.

Dallas Stars Tyler Seguin follows up his words with action by protesting

In the last week since hockey players have begun to speak out, Seguin’s statement was one of the more poignant ones posted to social media. On June 1, Seguin posted his thoughts to Twitter on the racial injustice in society, stating that while he can’t understand the pain of black people as a white man, he knows he has been complicit in the system for too long and wants to make a change.

The statement is a moving one, and Seguin backed that up speaking to The Athletic about how Floyd’s murder opened his eyes to the pain and suffering of black people.

“I started looking more into everything and started researching and following along and had an accountability moment that this was my business,” Seguin said. “This is something I am feeling about the world right now. I can’t grasp how much pain people are in. Seeing it, it was an eye-opener to me.”

Seguin joining a Black Lives Matter protest is significant, as he becomes one of the first NHL players to physically protest for the cause. Other sports, such as the NBA, have had players join in marches and protests over the last few weeks, but Seguin has backed up his words with actions in a way not many hockey players have.

It remains to be seen if other hockey players will get out and protest in the way Seguin has, but with the league still on hiatus thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, there is still time.

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