NHL players are starting to wake up to racial injustice, but is it enough?

It’s a step forward, but one that is long overdue.

The senseless killing of George Floyd, along with those of other black men and women, should never have happened.  Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer was another exhausting reminder of the systemic violence that targets black communities. The chorus of people demanding change has grown into a powerful roar that even the NHL community can no longer ignore.

NHL players are notoriously tight lipped about issues of race, even when it concerns their own sport. Just recently, former NHL player Akim Aliu wrote about the racial abuse he endured as a black player, and was met with deafening silence from white NHL players. Floyd’s death though, and the ensuing outrage, seem to have finally woken up some white NHL players to endemic racism.

In the initial aftermath of Floyd’s death, the burden (as always) fell on black NHL players to represent their community. JT Brown, PK Subban, Malcom Subban and Evander Kane all posted messages about the killing. Most notably, Kane went on ESPN and spoke about the difficulty of being a black player in a league that struggles with racism. He also called out white players for their silence.

There is some cause for hope though. Over the past couple of days, a handful of white players have gone on social media to comment on the gross injustice of Floyd’s death. The statements run from benign sharing of images and videos, to more thoughtful messages addressing racial inequality.

Players like Nolan Patrick, Max Domi, and Mark Scheifele shared videos addressing the need for confronting racism, which doesn’t sound like much, but as far as NHL players are concerned, is a big step. Others, like the New Jersey Devils’ Connor Carrick, the Blue Jackets’ Nick Foligno and Sharks captain Logan Couture wrote more detailed musings on Floyd’s death and examined their own privilege as white players in league.

The Blackhawk’s Zack Smith also clearly articulated his thoughts.

None of the statements are perfect. Some use vague, unity themed language instead of directly calling out police violence or don’t even mention Floyd by name. But, they are a positive step forward in a league that has long demanded conformity from its players and silence on anything that might sow division in the locker room.

What these statements throw into sharp relief though is whose voices are missing from the conversation. As Kane pointed out in his ESPN interview, there’s no Sidney Crosby weighing in, no Jonathan Toews or Alex Ovechkin. By and large the league’s most popular players, as of now, have decided to take a pass on public statements.

While star power is always a good signal boost, if Crosby or Towes or others, don’t have anything meaningful to say on the situation, or if they’re not committed to examining their own privilege, it’s best for them to sit this one out. No one needs their voices if those voices aren’t interested in doing some heavy lifting. Empty platitudes, or passive posting of memes isn’t enough, not for players who have the means and the power to actually act.

For now, the few players who are educating themselves on issues of race is a good step forward, but one that’s long overdue. There are many people who have been doing the hard work to make the country a more equitable place long before Floyd’s death forced a nation’s attention. It’s nice that some white players decided to show up to the struggle, but they need to get up to speed and do so quickly. What we need now is real change, and real action.  As Floyd’s death proved, those things can’t wait.