We’re knocking on the door of 2020 (still feels weird), and the game of hockey has certainly made a lot of progress. Every year it seems like there are more initiatives and awareness surrounding the historical issues of racism in the game, and the hockey world seems to be collectively trying to iron out those wrinkles.
Unfortunately, there’s still a ways to go, and with racism still present in today’s society, it’s certainly still tainting the game of hockey from time to time.
Evander Kane has dealt with that first hand. You may remember when Chicago Blackhawks fans started getting into it with Kane, telling him to “stick to basketball” while Kane was serving a penalty. More recently, Kane posted a screenshot of a comment made on his Instagram, once again telling him to “stick to basketball”.
A youth hockey coach has received an influx of support after posting a text message he’d received from a parent. In the message, the parent essentially claims that he’s not comfortable with his son being taught by someone of Muslim belief. While continuously claiming that he’s not trying to discriminate, the parent singles out the coach based solely on his belief and the way he looks.
Evander Kane responded to the text message, explaining that some people don’t believe they’re being racist when actually they are.
It’s sad to see that racism is still caught up in hockey, but responses like Kane’s may help to clarify what should and should not be the way players, fans, and parents conduct themselves. It’s a process, and hopefully we get there sooner than later.
