The NHL has postponed all four of its playoff games scheduled for Thursday and Friday in the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Wisconsin last weekend.
The players requested the postponements and the league supported the decision, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association said in a joint statement released at 6 p.m. ET.
“Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences,” the statement read. “The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centred on diversity, inclusion and social justice.
“We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society.
“The NHLPA and NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices and beyond.”
The New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers were scheduled to play in Toronto, while the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights were slated to square off in Edmonton on Thursday.
A Tampa Bay Lightning-Boston Bruins game in Toronto and a Colorado Avalanche-Dallas Stars contest in Edmonton on Friday also are off the schedule.
The NHL’s decision came after the NBA started a string of postponements with three games called off Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play Game 5 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the WNBA also postponed some games Wednesday, while the NHL plowed ahead with its three playoff contests.
Members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance — a group including Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks and Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild formed earlier this year that hopes to “to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey” — tweeted out messages earlier in the day asking the league to suspend Thursday’s games.
“We strongly feel this sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports,” the tweets read.
{The Canadian Press}
