Hockey is finally back, and we couldn’t be any more excited about that. While NHL action returns to our screens, however, Darnell Nurse wants to make sure that we don’t lose sight of the fight for change that has gained so much momentum in recent weeks.
In a lengthy essay published to his Instagram, Nurse describes his own experience with racism in hockey, as well as the invaluable support that he’s gotten from friends, teammates and family. Most of all, he wants to keep the focus on continuing to make change for the better.
This definitely qualifies as a long read, at least on Instagram, but it’s well worth your time.
Nurse also spotlights his teammates Ethan Bear and Kailer Yamamoto, who are also minority hockey players themselves. In one of the Oilers' final scrimmages, Bear wore a special Oilers jersey honouring his indigenous heritage with his name spelled in Cree syllabics.