Evander Kane calls out NHL over response to Jacob Blake shooting

Players of color ‘insulted’ by NHL’s lack of response to social injustice.

On a day where the NBA, and other major sports leagues, took a stand against the ongoing social injustice going on against people of color in America. The NHL went on with their scheduled games, with little to no acknowledgment from the league concerning the recent protests of the shooting of Jacob Blake.

While many NHL players remained silent on the NBA’s move to cancel games, some players took to social media to express their support of the NBA players. One of those players was San Jose Sharks’ winger Evander Kane.

Kane is a black, 29-year old native of Vancouver, Canada. While his team is currently outside of the playoffs, he has made his voice heard on the matter of racism and injustice being prevalent in the NHL.

Along with Kane, former NHLer Akim Aliu started the ‘Hockey Diversity Alliance’ in June of this year. Aliu is a Nigerian-born Canadian, who made headlines earlier this season when he spoke out against then Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters. Aliu came forward with a statement addressing racial abuse towards him from Peters during his time with the Flames. On Wednesday, Aliu was vocal on social media, giving his support to the NBA, while questioning the NHL for their lack of action.

Both Kane and Aliu have previously expressed their disappointment in the NHL’s response to the protests of the murder of George Floyd, and are once again dissatisfied with what is happening now, in concerns to the Jacob Blake shooting protests.

Kane appeared on the Sportsnet broadcast, shortly before the start of the Boston/Tampa Bay game, and discussed his grievances with the league, on what was a red-letter day in North American sports. Kane told David Amber that ‘we need to be better’ and that the responsibility for raising awareness on these issues, should not fall solely on the backs of players of color.

Kane was joined by other members of the hockey community, who voiced their concerns with the on-going silence from the NHL on racial issues. Canadian women’s hockey star, and former Wisconsin Badger, Sarah Nurse weighed-in on the issue, stating that ‘Black Lives are more important than sport.’

Meanwhile, the former problematic NHL enforcer Daniel Carcillo voiced his views on the NHL’s lack of response. Carcillo has admitted in the past to have made racist remarks to players, but has since made a reform towards tolerance and equality. Carcillo pointed out in a tweet on Wednesday, that the prevailing problem with the NHL, is their pandering to an audience that is made up of mostly white males.

As the days go forward, more and more minority NHL players are going to voice their disappointment in the NHL’s complacence. There comes a time, however, when complacence becomes complicity. As Kane and Aliu have eluded to before, the longer that this behavior goes unaddressed, the harder it will be to eradicate from the sport entirely. While many players of color are taking a stand, the time has come for non-black players to have their voices heard as well. Until this happens, there will likely be no real change within hockey or the NHL.