Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba raises his fist during national anthem

The Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba raised his first during the national anthem.

There’s no question athletes have a platform unlike any other point in sports history. Thanks to the power of social media, and with the current climate of widespread social unrest in the United States, many professional athletes are making their stances on social issues well known.

Now that the NHL is officially back, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba is one such player to take a public stand. On Saturday, the 26-year-old knelt during the national anthem, becoming the first NHL player to do so.

On Sunday, he raised his right fist in the air during the anthem, leaving it up for both the American national anthem and the Canadian national anthem.

Matt Dumba continues to make his stance known in the NHL

Dumba, whose mother is of Filipino descent and whose father is of Romanian and German descent, was born in Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada. He gave a passionate speech before Saturday night’s series opener between the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers on behalf of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, condemning racism in hockey and American society in general. And even though he wasn’t playing in the game, he then knelt for the national anthem.

Doing so was a tremendous show of courage to use his platform in such a public way, and by raising his fist before taking to the ice on Sunday, it was yet another powerful display of how athletes can use their platforms for good during this time of social injustice and rampant police brutality.

Dumba’s actions are sure to be met with backlash for this display, but protests are meant to make people uncomfortable and challenge the status quo, which, to this point in American history, has neglected and oppressed people of color. Hopefully his message continues to shine through.