Minnesota Wild defenceman Mathew Dumba has become the first National Hockey League player to kneel during the U.S. national anthem.
As thousands took to their couches to watch the unprecedented return to hockey Saturday, the National Hockey League took the moments before Edmonton鈥檚 first game of the NHL restart to acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dumba, 26, took to center ice to speak on behalf of fellow members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance on systemic racism.
鈥淒uring this pandemic, something unexpected but long overdue occurred,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he world woke up to the existence of systemic racism and how deeply rooted it is within our society.鈥�
He went onto say that the alliance, as well as the NHL, want kids to 鈥渇eel safe, comfortable and free-minded every time they enter an arena,鈥� vowing to fight against injustice.
鈥淚 hope that this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans,鈥� he said. 鈥淏lack Lives Matter. Breonna Taylor鈥檚 life matters.
鈥淗ockey is a great game but it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.鈥�
Following his speech, Dumba kneeled for the Star Spangled Banner as Chicago Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse could be seen with one of their hands on his shoulders.
Matt Dumba (@matt_dumba) of the @mnwild kneels during the National Anthem. #WeSkateFor Equality pic.twitter.com/Sx6qWAbhUb
鈥� NHL (@NHL) August 1, 2020
Michael Buble sang 鈥極 Canada鈥� on a video recorded at Vancouver鈥檚 Rogers Arena. Dumba stood for that anthem.
Dumba, born in Regina, Sask., played for the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League from 2009 to 2012, before being drafted by the Wild.
Fellow Wild right winger J.T. Brown was the first to protest during the U.S. anthem while signed to Tampa Bay Lightning when he raised his fist in 2017 鈥� roughly a year after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem at a preseason game.
Edmonton and Chicago will also be playing on Monday.
LISTEN: Who鈥檚 ready for a little NHL action in August?
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ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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