NHL: Players unite and stand up

Players from the four Western Conference teams still in the race for the Stanley Cup have come together as one to address the media Thursday in Edmonton on their decision to boycott the next two days of activities of the National Hockey League.

• Read also: NHL shut down for two days

Nazem Kadri, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, Ryan Reaves, Jason Dickinson and Bo Horvat all lined up for the podium, with their teammates all behind them.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” Reaves said at the start. The position we’re taking [jeudi] is one that will continue. The next two days won’t be able to change everything, but the conversations and the stance are powerful, especially from this league. ”

“We know that these two days will not change everything,” added Bellemare. This is a message we are sending to our organizations and the NHL that we want to move in the right direction. We are here because we are not happy with what is happening right now. ”

“It was an important decision to make and we made the right one,” said Horvat. We had to do something and get up together. ”

The solidarity movement began Thursday morning, Reaves said. The Vegas Golden Knights strongman woke up to a few messages from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk on his cell phone. Then came messages from Vancouver Canucks players.

“It’s an even more powerful message,” Reaves said. The conversation started with white players from other teams wanting to talk. ”

“In the future, it will have to be the entire league. Not just one or two guys, ”Kadri added.

The National Hockey League has followed suit with several other sports leagues that have decided to temporarily suspend their activities after their players decided to boycott the games in protest against racial inequalities. The “Black Lives Matter” movement has reached new heights since Sunday, when Jacob Blake, a black man, was shot several times by a white police officer.

All games scheduled for Thursday and Friday will be postponed to a later date.

– .