Kevin Allen: NHL players missed an opportunity Wednesday, but what happens today? NHL criticized for not postponing games

Personally, I’m fine with the NHL playing. Though to be upfront, I’m Asian-American so my opinion on race might not matter to some people.

What the NHL can do is continue to introduce hockey in inner cities and build rinks and provide equipment to inner city kids. Have travel teams so they see the world outside of their community.

Along with bringing hockey into inner cities, provide tutors and people to provide guidance. 2 hours of hockey, 2 hours of tutoring. Your grades are not good, no hockey until you pick up your grades with the help of a tutor.

Hockey culture is great. If you work hard and are a good teammate, it doesn’t matter what your race, sexual identity, and whatever other identifiers you want to place. Just be a good person on your team.

All this boycotting and some of the protesting is just virtue signaling. Walking off the job, demanding people to raise a fist for BLM, spray painting graffiti, and whatever else is going on is not going to improve the lives of people in the inner city. It just makes people of “privilege” feel better about themselves.

Provide opportunity into the inner cities that they would never experience. A hockey rink to keep kids off the street. Bring hockey equipment manufacturing jobs into the inner city (I’ve been asking Nike to do this). Not just manufacturing jobs, but well paid union jobs.

Until there’s investment in the inner city and people there taking advantage, this country will still be in the same boat of identity politics. It doesn’t matter if you have an R or a D in government positions. At this point in our country, we don’t need any candidates names on ballots, just put an R or a D.

Personally, I’m fine with the NHL playing. Though to be upfront, I’m Asian-American so my opinion on race might not matter to some people.

What the NHL can do is continue to introduce hockey in inner cities and build rinks and provide equipment to inner city kids. Have travel teams so they see the world outside of their community.

Along with bringing hockey into inner cities, provide tutors and people to provide guidance. 2 hours of hockey, 2 hours of tutoring. Your grades are not good, no hockey until you pick up your grades with the help of a tutor.

Hockey culture is great. If you work hard and are a good teammate, it doesn’t matter what your race, sexual identity, and whatever other identifiers you want to place. Just be a good person on your team.

All this boycotting and some of the protesting is just virtue signaling. Walking off the job, demanding people to raise a fist for BLM, spray painting graffiti, and whatever else is going on is not going to improve the lives of people in the inner city. It just makes people of “privilege” feel better about themselves.

Provide opportunity into the inner cities that they would never experience. A hockey rink to keep kids off the street. Bring hockey equipment manufacturing jobs into the inner city (I’ve been asking Nike to do this). Not just manufacturing jobs, but well paid union jobs.

Until there’s investment in the inner city and people there taking advantage, this country will still be in the same boat of identity politics. It doesn’t matter if you have an R or a D in government positions. At this point in our country, we don’t need any candidates names on ballots, just put an R or a D.
- CardiffGiant

Ed Snider and the Flyers did exactly what you are suggesting 20 years ago. Snider Hockey still exists to this day and has grown. I think the Rangers did something similar, as well. And I'm sure other organizations have done this, also.

Just stop with this nonsense already!! Postponing games will do nothing to change anything other than to piss people off! How bout those NBA guys making 30 million a year put their money where their mouth is. Protesting and whining never fixed anything. Actions speak louder than words. This is a joke! How bout all the black people that are killing other black people? That's a much bigger problem and always has been. WTF!!!

Nice 👌 you got your will Mr.FunFacts AllAn. How huge this is for the cause. I am not sure.

It's fine by me if the players/league want to express support for ending racism, oppression against people of African decent, etc. in the form of postponing games. This is definitely an example of something that is bigger than hockey.

That being said, if the postponements are not followed up by real changes of action (e.g. police reform, increasing opportunities given to the poor/disadvantaged), then it's not really accomplishing anything.

Again, I'm fine with them not playing because that's a big thing that can be done literally today that gets people's attention. But in the long term, the issue must be addressed directly, or else it shows that today's action was just "talk".

I am not surprised that the NHL, true to form is the last one in. It costs $$ to play hockey as in many cities its a club sport and not one sponsored by the local HS. Is cost a barrier to getting more people involved in the sport? The league took no action on wednesday and had to be nudged to halt the thursday games by the newly formed Alliance group w/i the league. I am sure there were a lot of grumbles in the halls in Toronto.

The NHL players so seldomly actually take a stance on anything, that when they do actually say something, its always surprising. Then when the league does try to say something, is it impactful? meh.

I just dont have a lot of faith in folks "at the corporate office" so to speak. I think they like things just the way they are.

It's fine by me if the players/league want to express support for ending racism, oppression against people of African decent, etc. in the form of postponing games. This is definitely an example of something that is bigger than hockey.

That being said, if the postponements are not followed up by real changes of action (e.g. police reform, increasing opportunities given to the poor/disadvantaged), then it's not really accomplishing anything.

Again, I'm fine with them not playing because that's a big thing that can be done literally today that gets people's attention. But in the long term, the issue must be addressed directly, or else it shows that today's action was just "talk".
- copelal

totally agree. action, reform, training, etc need to come out of this

"END RACISM"! Yes sir! People always respond well to being told how to feel. All of this virtue signaling and protesting and looting is going to backfire.
Change things the correct way.
Throwing a fit, cancelling, manipulating people into feeling/thinking a certain way to try to bring immediate change is wrong, dangerous, and I wont accept it

Just stop with this nonsense already!! Postponing games will do nothing to change anything other than to piss people off! How bout those NBA guys making 30 million a year put their money where their mouth is. Protesting and whining never fixed anything. Actions speak louder than words. This is a joke! How bout all the black people that are killing other black people? That's a much bigger problem and always has been. WTF!!!
- Phillywhiteout

Holy snowflake take it easy

"END RACISM"! Yes sir! People always respond well to being told how to feel. All of this virtue signaling and protesting and looting is going to backfire.
Change things the correct way.
Throwing a fit, cancelling, manipulating people into feeling/thinking a certain way to try to bring immediate change is wrong, dangerous, and I wont accept it
- just69sayin

This isn’t about thinking and feelings. This is about the bill of rights and treating people equally; which is a founding principal of this country. You want to think like a racist, that’s sad but ok. You want to discriminate against someone because you don’t like them then you are just wrong. Morally and legally.

I am not surprised that the NHL, true to form is the last one in. It costs $$ to play hockey as in many cities its a club sport and not one sponsored by the local HS. Is cost a barrier to getting more people involved in the sport? The league took no action on wednesday and had to be nudged to halt the thursday games by the newly formed Alliance group w/i the league. I am sure there were a lot of grumbles in the halls in Toronto.

The NHL players so seldomly actually take a stance on anything, that when they do actually say something, its always surprising. Then when the league does try to say something, is it impactful? meh.

I just dont have a lot of faith in folks "at the corporate office" so to speak. I think they like things just the way they are.
- i'mjustafan

This whole postponing games is bullpoop. Can't believe the league is listening to losers like dander Kane

This isn’t about thinking and feelings. This is about the bill of rights and treating people equally; which is a founding principal of this country. You want to think like a racist, that’s sad but ok. You want to discriminate against someone because you don’t like them then you are just wrong. Morally and legally.
- Queenie_5_hole

Everyone is being treated equally. If anything, minorities and special interests are getting better treatment than anyone else.

Everyone is being treated equally. If anything, minorities and special interests are getting better treatment than anyone else.
- kaptaan

This isn’t about thinking and feelings. This is about the bill of rights and treating people equally; which is a founding principal of this country. You want to think like a racist, that’s sad but ok. You want to discriminate against someone because you don’t like them then you are just wrong. Morally and legally.
- Queenie_5_hole

White man goes for weapon, and cops shoot him
Black man goes for weapon and cops shoot him

Seems equal to me

It was the right move to defend a known sex offender who, by the way, was at one of his victims' homes when she called the police. Enough weakness. People with BLM signs also their their homes and businesses burned down too. They don't care and neither should anyone else. Canadians can zip it on this; stay in your lane.

This isn’t about thinking and feelings. This is about the bill of rights and treating people equally; which is a founding principal of this country. You want to think like a racist, that’s sad but ok. You want to discriminate against someone because you don’t like them then you are just wrong. Morally and legally.
- Queenie_5_hole

It said END RACISM on the scoreboard of the Leafs ice arena. I'm not thinking racist at all. The point was people dont like to be told what to feel, and also all of these slogans or movements demanding immediate change are Marxist code words. Look it up. Not only is the NHL hurting innocent fans, they are enabling a dangerous political agenda that wants to delegitimize police entirely to create chaos. This is part of their brainwashing.

The NHL better be careful, this is entertainment and if they think they are so good that they dictate when and what people watch they are wrong. There have been 111 black people killed by police in 2020, where are the protests for the 215 white people killed by police? Where are the protests for the 210+ hispanic, asian, and other races killed by police? If pro sports is now the BLM just come out and say this so we can find other entertainment.

The games had already started Wednesday... NHL did it right Thursday/Friday...

Maybe they just need to be clearer on the scheduling. If they put a disclaimer that we will have games depending on the political climate of the day. They could also list their political views and policies they believe in so the viewers can decide whether they want to watch. Just decide whether its sports or politics. What about all the issues with opioids? Are we going to pretend it isn't an issue in sports? Lets cancel games when people die from an overdose. Does it need to be a hockey player, do they need to be black, do they need to be a man or woman?

It said END RACISM on the scoreboard of the Leafs ice arena. I'm not thinking racist at all. The point was people dont like to be told what to feel, and also all of these slogans or movements demanding immediate change are Marxist code words. Look it up. Not only is the NHL hurting innocent fans, they are enabling a dangerous political agenda that wants to delegitimize police entirely to create chaos. This is part of their brainwashing.
- just69sayin

Yes using words is Marxist. You cracked the secret code! Congrats!!!

It’s a slogan. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. You can keep being as racist as you want in your own head. Enjoy.

So the shooting happened Sunday. NBA postponed a few games on Wednesday. The NHL are jerks for only postponing on Thursday. Are the NBA also jerks for playing on Monday and Tuesday?

Message to Kelly Hrudey. The NHL should absolutely be supporting racial equality and equal rights for all. They should not be supporting Black Live Matter.

Also for some, it's apparently impossible to be a parent and role model and discuss social issues with your family while there is a hockey game going on.

I'm awaiting the postponement of today's NHL games.

https://www.kmov.com/news...eZ8dys0jitEsuOLrlrTZvOMDs

Anybody supporting BLM is supporting Marxism/communism. BLM has admitted they are a Marxist organization. They are bringing in tens of millions of dollars from donations all over the world and I haven't seen one bit of it go to helping other black people. It's going into their pockets and the pockets of the American Democratic National committee. When the BLM leaders spout of that BLACK LIVES MATTER, the only black lives they mean are their own. Much like Communist China and other Communist countries say, "what we do, we do for the people". Trouble is, they're the people, not the people they claim to represent. Just ask all those poor Chinese, Vietnamese, Cubans, and before that, Russians. What do they ever have besides nothing. Ask the Venezuelan people who are starving under socialism. Choose your words and actions carefully NHL. You might find yourselves picking the wrong "friends".