Category: Interview

Source: WGBH News

First, this article is not about racism. It is about the lack of interest of a minority group in a particular sport. And it is that lack of interest in the sport of hockey that leads to the question why don’t more minorities gravitate to the sport either as players or fans.

To start this theoretical exercise, let us begin with a peek inside of funny conversation that took place last night. It happens between several coworkers of which two are working and the other three are hanging out together at the game’s event upstairs. The exchange takes place after a Black, or African American, player from the home team is sent to the sin bin (penalty box) for slashing. We will call the player, Reagan.

The following communication takes place via text messages with the exception of the fan who is sitting behind the three coworkers hanging out in the stands:*

Fan: (yelling at ref) You can’t call that on him! That’s racist!
Coworker 1: (laughing with Coworker 2 & 3) Oh my God, did he just say that?
Coworker 2: Yeah, he went there.
So then, coworker 2 proceeds to text fellow coworkers 4 and 5 who are working to tell them about the fan.
Coworker 4: Well, what do you expect him to say? Reagan is a mythical being in the NHL.
Coworker 2: So, you’re saying he’s an unicorn?
Coworker 4: Yes. How many Black guys do you know play in the NHL?
Coworker 2: Three.
Coworker 1: There are more than 3 guys who play in the NHL
Coworker 2: (laughing) Really. Name them.
Coworker 1: Okay, there’s the Blue Jackets, the Jets, the Predators, the Bruins. . . um, um, and then there’s the Duke for the ‘Yotes.
Coworker 2: (still laughing) So, there is five.
Coworker 1: (unamused by her lack of memory) There’s more than that. I just can’t remember them. I know there’s more.

Well, that conversation led to the thought that maybe we should investigate how many there really were playing currently in the NHL. It also led to the thought that why aren’t there more minorities of all races playing or attending NHL games.

There are more than five . . . actually several more. Akim Aliu (Calgary Flames), Justin Bailey (Buffalo Sabres), Nicholas Baptiste (Buffalo Sabres), Pierre Edouard Bellemare (Philadelphia Flyers), J.T.Brown (Tampa Bay Lightning), Dustin Byfuglien (Winnipeg Jets), Trevor Daley (Pittsburgh Penguins), Anthony Duclair (Arizona Coyotes), Matt Dumba (Minnesota Wild), Emerson Etem (Vancouver Canucks), Mark Fraser (Edmonton Oilers), Christopher Gibson (New York Islanders), Jerome Ignila (Los Angeles Kings), Seth Jones (Columbus Blue Jackets), Evander Kane (Buffalo Sabres), Oliver Kylington (Calagary Flames), Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers), Johnny Oduya (Chicago Blackhawks), Kyle Okposo (Buffalo Sabres), Ryan Reaves (St. Louis Blues), Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia Flyers), Devante Smith-Pelly (New Jersey Devils), Gemel Smith (Dallas Stars), Chris Stewart (Minnesota Wild), Malcolm Subban (Boston Bruins), PK Subban (Nashville Predators), and Joel Ward (Washington Capitals).

**To Be Continued**

*Names have been withheld to protect the individuals and their jobs and some passages are paraphrased as well for the same reasons.