the hockey diversity alliance x budweiser: #tapeouthate
“When you’re a black man playing in a predominantly white man’s sport, you’ve got to come to expect things like that.” -Wayne Simmonds, on banana peels being thrown onto ice at him
“I 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 players’ parents. I was a young kid and I remember being confused and hurt.”- Nazem Kadri, on facing slurs since he was 10 years old
“You know, I’ve heard the ‘n-word’ or ‘Go back to Africa’ so many times, it’s just in one ear, out the other.” -Akim Aliu
The HDA announced in 2020 that the group would “operate independent of the NHL” because they said the league “isn’t prepared to make measurable commitments to end racism in hockey.”
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 “every opportunity to be involved” in the project.
“They ultimately chose not to, we respect their decision. We were told that they both have their own [diversity and inclusion] efforts.”
The project originally called for all of the players involved to be wearing their NHL team’s 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.
“They were told ‘We’re not on working terms with the HDA’,” Aliu said. “It’s one thing to not support the small number of players of color in the league, it’s another thing to actually double down on it. The league is saying the current guys like Wayne, ‘You can’t wear the jersey.’ The pettiness and smallness is so sad. It’s another rock bottom for the NHL.”
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