Although hockey is my favorite sport to watch, it’s not a very popular sport in the United States. It’s costly to play, many states don’t have professional teams and the players lack the marketability that other professional athletes have. While it seems like an impossible task, the National Hockey League (NHL) is trying to fix these problems and become as successful as other leagues. They are starting programs to make hockey more accessible to low-income families, advertising to younger players and building a fanbase. Overall, there have been improvements in most categories. One problem the NHL has that they seem incapable of fixing, however, is its racism and lack of diversity. Over 90 percent of the NHL is white, with only 43 out of more than 700 players in 2020 being people of color. This is likely related to hockey’s overwhelmingly white and conservative fanbase. While the NHL has tried its best to become a safe space for all players and families, it continues to fall short of its goal.
A few years ago, the NHL started a Hockey is For Everyone Campaign, with its primary goal being to “drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities.” The campaign includes programs and events in multiple hockey leagues to celebrate women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as invite them to enjoy the sport. They have also tried to improve their relationship with Indigenous peoples and assist in disabled hockey programs. These programs have brought progress — in the past year, the first player under an NHL contract came out as gay, and many teams named their first female executives. The NHL has also hosted themed games, ranging from Pride Night, with rainbow stick tape, to Gender Equality games, with purple jerseys. However, although this campaign has had some success, it has not solved everything.
In recent months, players finally came forward and complained about the mistreatment and lack of support and diversity in hockey, prompted by the campaign’s failures. One former Calgary Flames player, Akim Aliu, took to Twitter to complain about children in the Greater Toronto Hockey League dealing with the same problems he dealt with on the ice. “I just heard from a young Black kid playing in the GTHL,” Aliu tweeted. “Last game he was called a N***er. His teammate of Asian descent tried to stand up for him and was called an Asian slur. The # of times I & other members of the [Hockey Diversity Alliance] have had these types [of] convos is sickening. When does it end!?” Sadly, Aliu is just another name on the roster of players who have been called slurs and mistreated due to racism in the hockey community. Jordan Subban, a defenseman with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), accused Jacob Panetta, another ECHL defenseman, of racist taunting during a game in January. Whether from fans or teammates, many players are unable to escape mistreatment in the hockey community.
Hockey, of course, is not the only sport with these issues. The National Football League (NFL) and the Major League Baseball (MLB) have dealt with racism on the field and in the stands. However, these sports have something hockey lacks — diversity among players.
To be completely honest, discrimination is too widespread in hockey for a few themed games to fix. The NHL needs to permanently remove players that make racist taunts and gestures. Also, the hockey community should ban racist fans. Fans who make inappropriate comments or signs need to be removed from the arenas permanently, and the NHL needs to make more statements condemning these fans. If the NHL wants to make hockey a more prosperous and welcoming sport, they need to be more concerned about how their players are treated.
Nicolette Cavallaro is a senior majoring in psychology.