It’s been almost a week since the protests against police brutality started in Minneapolis. Since that time, a lot of hockey players have spoken out on their social sites regarding this situation, but some of the biggest names have stayed silent for too long. The two biggest names are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, who are considered as the greatest hockey players of modern hockey. But yesterday, these players also joined in and expressed their feelings.
A message from Sidney Crosby: pic.twitter.com/33CQA5WjKF
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 3, 2020
— Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97) June 3, 2020
We still cannot say if these words are really sincere or it’s just something coming from their PR managers, but these statements are at least a first step toward the two best players in the NHL making better use of their platform.
In case if you’re wondering how these statements really help, I really recommend you to read this article from a blogger of the Toronto Maple Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets, who’s sharing his experience on this situation
Blake Wheeler. Jonathan Toews. Logan Couture. Steven Stamkos. Tyler Seguin. Jason Zucker. Braden Holtby. You have no idea what it means to read what you have written. You’ve used your platforms to speak out against anti-Black racism and the countless issues in society that perpetrate hatred and inequity.
Auston Matthews. Morgan Rielly. Frederik Andersen. The Toronto Maple Leafs organization as a whole. You have shown me that you are trying to understand the issues embedded in the times we live in, and that you are willing to make the effort to try to change them.
More and more players are not only publishing their statements on Twitter or Instagram, but participating in some real actions. One of them is Patrice Bergeron who recently donated $50,000 to civil rights organizations in Boston and Quebec.
A statement from Patrice Bergeron.
To those who wish to support:
NAACP Boston: https://t.co/uXXPUDXivO
Centre Multiethnique de Quebec: https://t.co/aS9a57RWOi pic.twitter.com/IVKU1hMNd6
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 3, 2020
Forward Jimmy Vesey also donated money to the NAACP, adding a very self-reflecting statement about being a white man in America.
I don’t usually speak out on social media, but it’s been hard to remain quiet. I put a lot of consideration into this, and these are my genuine thoughts. pic.twitter.com/ALvGq9YmEo
— Jimmy Vesey (@19Vesey) June 3, 2020
P.K. Subban not only donated $50,000 to the daughter of George Floyd himself, but also contacted NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman who agreed to match this donation.
Change The Game❤️🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/otPpYIBkJx
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) June 3, 2020
Other News and Links
According to the NHL’s return to play plan, some of the teams which have already been eliminated might be out of the game until next January. Pierre LeBrun from the Athletic shed a light on some options for this teams
So what do you do if you’re those seven teams? One idea that’s popped up is holding a mini camp of sorts in the middle of it all.
To that end, some of those seven teams, sources confirm, have already begun talking internally about what an NHL camp might look like at some point later in the summer or early fall. You get the logic. These players might need that in the middle of a 10-month hiatus.
