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The NHL has reportedly decided not play any playoff games Thursday after members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance asked the league to postpone its two second-round games in response to Jacob Blake being shot by police in Wisconsin.
ESPN was first to report the postponement of Thursday’s games.
Two Game 3s were on the schedule, with the Philadelphia Flyers facing the New York Islanders in Toronto and the Vegas Golden Knights playing the Vancouver Canucks in Edmonton, Alberta.
San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane announced the request for the games to be called off on his Twitter account.
“We strongly feel this sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports,” Kane wrote on behalf of the alliance, which is made up of current and former players.
Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back seven times Sunday by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The incident sparked protests, including some that spread to sports earlier this week.
The NHL faced criticism from Kane, who is Black, and others in allowing its playoff games to continue after several other pro sports leagues, starting with the NBA, postponed games or had players sit out Wednesday night.
Minnesota forward and founding alliance member Matt Dumba criticized the NHL for going ahead with games.
“The NHL, we’re always last to the party, especially on these topics,” Dumba said Wednesday on Vancouver’s Sportsnet 650. “It’s kind of sad and disheartening for me and for other members of the HDA and I’m sure other guys across the league. If no one stands up and does anything, it’s the same thing. It’s that silence that you’re just outside looking in on actually being leaders and invoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so.”
Dallas Stars forward Jason Dickinson called the debate over whether to play a difficult decision following the team’s 6-4 loss to Colorado on Wednesday night.
“Does not playing solve things? No. But it brings attention to it,” Dickinson said before noting a majority of hockey players are not Americans as opposed to their NBA counterparts.
“I think it’s difficult to kind of appreciate things as outsiders to America,” said Dickinson, who is Canadian. “But you know, we try to give our two cents where we can. And you know what, tonight just didn’t seem like (not playing) was the right call to do.”
The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, who don’t play until Friday, did not make players available during their video conference calls.
Source:: Los Angeles Daily News
