The video of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was horrific.
Recorded by Pulitzer Prize-winner Darnella Frazier, the murder took place in Minnesota– the self-proclaimed “State of Hockey.”
But the NHL, and many of its franchises, continues to lag behind other sports league when it comes to identifying and celebrating holidays and issues important to fans from non-traditional hockey spaces and marginalized communities.
Historically, some white people view racism as an isolated issue that’s experienced occasionally over time, akin to a blizzard or the Olympics.
But in hockey, the challenge of dealing with racism persists.
Earlier this week, the San Jose Sharks tweeted a tone deaf photo celebrating Juneteenth with of a Shark breaking chains. The team continues to be lambasted for the now-deleted tweet.
In January, feminist hockey players unilaterally made the decision to lean on their whiteness when one of their colleagues, Metropolitan Riveters defenseman Saroya Tinker, a Black woman, challenged the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) for their partnership with Barstool Sports.
As I’ve said before, hockey, like life, is often rigged against Black and brown kids.
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