By Whitewashed History leads to Racism in Hockey
When you look at hockey leagues around the world, most are predominantly white. This goes for the players on the ice and people behind the scenes like coaches and front offices. But this is not how the sport started.
The origins of the sport known today heavily includes Black and Indigenous people. That is not reflected in most players or even the fans of hockey today. Black Canadians made huge contributions to how the game is played.
There is systematic racism plaguing hockey. Its roots have been smudged. How did a sport created by people of color and working-class folks turn into the sport it is today? To fix racism in hockey it is important to be realistic about the work being done, and the work that still needs to be had.
Willie O’Ree and Race in Hockey
On January 18, 2022, Willie 0’Ree has his number lifted into the rafters of TD Garden. O’Ree is the first Black player to play in the National Hockey League. The Boston Bruins have retired the number 22 is honor of this.
O’Ree’s legacy in sports is an underrated one. He broke the color barrier in hockey, and yet very few people know his story compared to other legends like baseball player Jackie Robinson or boxer Jack Johnson.
His impact has influenced current and ex Black players like Pk Subban, Wayne Simmonds, Anson Carter, and Ryan Reaves
O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall Fame in 2018, a gesture that was seen as an overdue one. How hockey uplifts, or lack thereof, only further perpetuates the feeling of exclusion.
The Akim Aliu Shift
There could probably be a whole book of the blatant racism that player of color unfortunately has faced over the years. But as players become more comfortable to speak out, there is a shift in response to the racism.
In hockey, there is a culture of putting your head down and just playing even if that is at the expense of your mental and physical health. It can be hard for players of color to feel like they callout bad behavior.
There was a story that rocked the hockey world and arguably created a shift that could be seen to this day on how racism in hockey is talked about.
Akim Aliu, former professional ice hockey player, sent out a flurry of tweet on November 25, 2019, accusing then Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters of using racial epithets towards him in 2010. The story was later cooperated by other ex-Rockford Icehog players, the team Aliu was on at the time.
Peters resigned from his job just days later. Aliu has since been a huge advocate for speaking about racism in hockey. He does on record saying that the racism he delt with in career ultimately led to it ending.
There sadly has been more incidents of racism in hockey since then, but players feel more emboldened to speak out on their experiences.
Strides being made to Combat Racism in Hockey
Aliu went on, with the help of other players of color including Nazem Kadri, Matt Dumba, and Evander Kane, created the Hockey Diversity Alliance. The HDA’s initiative is to help eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey from the grassroots up.
The HAD has been very vocal about the lack of support they have got from the NHL. The two entities are separate from each other because of this reason.
Their approach reads: “We strive to create sustainable change on all levels of hockey. At the top, we will educate and encourage accountability from out leagues and leaders. At the grassroots level, we will work to ensure hockey is accessible to anyone loves the game.”
Non-profit organizations like Black Girl Hockey Club have also been around for years helping fans go games and players at the grassroots gain scholarships.
What the NHL needs to do
The only way to move forward is to not only acknowledge the strides being made, but also be able to own up to needing to do more work.
History tellers have a funny way of shifting focus. As strides are being made to make hockey a more inclusive sport, it is key to ask why say Hockey is Everyone instead of Hockey should be for Everyone.
We are not at the point where hockey is a safe place for everyone. The NHL needs to stop tip toeing around the problem at hand with empty gestures.
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