Former NHL player Akim Aliu, Sharks forward Evander Kane, Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley, Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, Sabres forward Wayne Simmonds, Flyers forward Chris Stewart, and former NHL forward Joel Ward announced the formation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance on Monday.
Aliu and Kane will serve as co-heads of the Alliance, which will work to promote diversity and advocate for equality in all levels of hockey and beyond.
"Our mission is to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey," read the announcement. "We will strive to be a force for positive change not only within our game of hockey, but also within society. Although we will be independent of the NHL, we are hopeful that we will work productively with the league to accomplish these important changes. We believe in the importance of accountability in developing inclusivity and diversity for all involved in our sport, including fans and the league office.
"We will promote diversity at all levels of the game through community outreach and engagement with youth and will endeavor to make the game more affordable and accessible. We will also focus on educating the hockey community about the racism issues confronting the sport, while advocating for acceptance and equality. We have partnered with a charitable fiscal sponsor and we will be launching a charitable division in the coming weeks to assist us in achieving our objectives.
"In creating our alliance, we are confident we can inspire a new generation of hockey players and fans. We are hopeful that anyone who puts on skates or sits in the stands will do so without worrying about race, gender or socioeconomic background and will be able to express their culture, identity, values, and personality without fear of retribution.
"We are united in our efforts and promise to work tirelessly to bring about the change our sport and society needs."
The group told the New York Times that they were inspired in part by the work of Colin Kaepernick in protesting social injustices, and spoke to Kaepernick for advice before launching the initiative.
“I think it’s enabled us to really feel even more strongly than we did originally about what we’re doing. It was an invaluable call that we had with him,” Kane said.
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DKPS
Trevor Daley.
NHL
Black NHL players launch diversity initiative
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