the hockey diversity alliance x budweiser: #tapeouthate
āWhen youāre a black man playing in a predominantly white manās sport, youāve got to come to expect things like that.ā -Wayne Simmonds, on banana peels being thrown onto ice at him
āI was one of the few non-white players out there, being of Middle Eastern background and Muslim faith. There was a lot of Islamophobia out there. I heard it from players and playersā parents. I was a young kid and I remember being confused and hurt.ā- Nazem Kadri, on facing slurs since he was 10 years old
āYou know, Iāve heard the ān-wordā or āGo back to Africaā so many times, itās just in one ear, out the other.ā -Akim Aliu
The HDA announced in 2020 that the group would āoperate independent of the NHLā because they said the league āisnāt prepared to make measurable commitments to end racism in hockey.ā
Budweiser Canada said the company made the NHL and the NHLPA aware of the campaign more than a year ago, kept them up to date, and gave them āevery opportunity to be involvedā in the project.
āThey ultimately chose not to, we respect their decision. We were told that they both have their own [diversity and inclusion] efforts.ā
The project originally called for all of the players involved to be wearing their NHL teamās jersey and for game footage to be spliced into the commercial. The NHL did not allow their images and marks to be used in the campaign.
āThey were told āWeāre not on working terms with the HDAā,ā Aliu said. āItās one thing to not support the small number of players of color in the league, itās another thing to actually double down on it. The league is saying the current guys like Wayne, āYou canāt wear the jersey.ā The pettiness and smallness is so sad. Itās another rock bottom for the NHL.ā
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