NHL, NHLPA partnering with Hockey Diversity Alliance

The NHL and NHL Players' Association are partnering with the Hockey Diversity Alliance to create a first-of-its-kind grassroots hockey development program aimed toward young players of color in the greater Toronto area.

The pilot program is one of several initiatives the NHL and NHLPA announced Thursday as part of their efforts to combat racism in society and make hockey more inclusive and welcoming.
The initiatives, which include the formation of key inclusion committees chaired by NHL executives, players and fans, are part of a drive to transform the words and emotions surrounding calls by the League's players and officials for social justice and the end of racism into tangible actions.
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"We applaud NHL players for recognizing the importance of this moment and for coming together as part of a genuine movement for change," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We look forward to working with all voices of change to fight for equality and broaden access to the game we all love."
"Everyone should be able to live and work in an environment that is inclusive, and one that is free from racism and discrimination in any form. In our sport, from the NHL to youth programs, we must take actions to achieve that goal, and to make our sport available and accessible to all," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said.
The issues came to the forefront when George Floyd, a Black man, died while in custody of police in Minneapolis on May 25. NHL players decided not to play Stanley Cup Playoff games last Thursday and Friday to protest Blake, also a Black man, being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 23. Blake's family said the shooting left him paralyzed.
The combined and individual efforts by the NHL and NHLPA focus on anti-racism education, helping people exercise their right to vote, and developing greater ties between the League office and teams and minority-owned businesses.
The NHL/NHLPA/HDA program will concentrate on mentorship and skill development for Black, Indigenous and people of color and represents the first time that the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund will be used for a program not affiliated with an NHL team. Additionally, the parties have agreed to pursue a similar pilot program based in the United States that will be announced at a later date.
"These pilot programs will represent a unique opportunity to partner with the HDA to use the power of their representation to inspire the next generation," the League said.
The HDA is a group of current and former NHL players who seek to end racism and promote diversity at all levels of the game through community outreach and engagement to make hockey more affordable and accessible to everyone. The alliance is led by Akim Aliu and San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane. Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley, Buffalo Sabres forward Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers forward Chris Stewart and former NHL forward Joel Ward are on the executive committee.
"I think it's definitely a step in the right direction," Colorado Avalanche center and HDA member Nazem Kadri said of the pilot program. "Being part of the HDA, we tried to lay out certain policies and initiatives that affect the grassroot programs, and the whole education process. That's one of the first and foremost things we have to do is start educating the youth, the players, the staff. So certainly a step in the right direction."
The NHL and NHLPA are also looking inward to help facilitate change. All NHL and NHLPA employees will participate in an inclusion learning experience conducted by Bill Proudman of White Men as Full Diversity Partners, a global learning and development firm, beginning with executive-level leadership immediately. The NHL, with its long-standing partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, will work to empower the next generation of racial justice leaders through a financial pledge to support the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University, a historically Black college in Houston.
Ahead of the Nov. 3 elections in the United States, the NHL will assist teams in exploring ways to encourage fans to vote and using their venues as polling places. Several NHL teams are already working with local election officials on making their arenas available as voting sites.
The League will collaborate with When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, to amplify educational resources about voting via NHL-wide platforms and social media channels.
The NHL is also continuing its multiyear partnership with RISE, a nonprofit organization that uses sport to address racism and empowers the sports community to use its voice to effect change.
Working with RISE, the League will host virtual panels to underscore the importance of voting, inspire fans to go to the polls and connect NHL teams to resources and information needed to host voting activations tailored to their markets.
On the business side, the NHL has begun conversations with Mellody Hobson and John Rogers of Ariel Investments, a minority-owned investment company, about building a more diverse pipeline and identifying strategies for the NHL and its teams to work more with minority-owned organizations.
Seeking to address hockey culture, the NHL has formed an Executive Inclusion Council comprised of owners, players and League and team executives.
The council, co-chaired by Commissioner Bettman and Sabres owner Kim Pegula, will candidly assess the current state of hockey, identify opportunities for positive change and develop tangible action steps and benchmarks to achieve greater diversity and inclusion in the sport.
Part of the council's mission centers on recruiting, hiring and development strategies to engage and support diverse talent for team and NHL front office and operations positions as well as job opportunities throughout hockey, including industry-wide internship and fellowship programs.
Korn Ferry, a consulting firm with expertise in diversity and inclusion issues, will assist the council.
In addition, three other committees will each develop action-oriented solutions to positively impact access, opportunity and experiences that underrepresented groups have in the game, and business, of hockey.
The Player Inclusion Committee will be co-chaired by New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and Anson Carter, an "NHL on NBC" analyst and former NHL forward, and be comprised of current and former NHL and women's national team players.
The Fan Inclusion Committee and Youth Hockey Inclusion Committee will include top business minds, thought leaders, community organizers and devotees of the game. These committees are tasked with designing solutions to break down barriers to change.
The Ascendant Athlete, an advisory group that works with athletes to advance impact on social justice issues, is currently conducting interviews with all members of the PIC and YHIC and will remain actively involved in these committees going forward by providing professional facilitation in each meeting.
The initiatives announced Thursday are part of ongoing efforts by the NHL and NHLPA to address racism and inequality in hockey and society.
"Under the leadership of NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs Kim Davis, the League's long-standing work in these areas has been refocused over the last three years and accelerated over the last six months," Commissioner Bettman said. "The initiatives we are announcing today are the result of that recommitment to making the NHL more inclusive and welcoming -- and to use our platform to fight racism."
At the Board of Governors meeting in December, the Commissioner announced a zero-tolerance policy for failing to report any conduct involving NHL personnel, on or off the ice, that is clearly inappropriate, unlawful or abusive, including racist and homophobic language or discrimination.
The League is developing the NHL Hotline, operated by an independent third party, to enable people across the NHL to report unethical behavior or misconduct.
The NHL and NHLPA's Female Hockey Advisory Committee, launched in 2019, continues its work focusing on the growth of female hockey and ensuring all women and girls can experience the opportunities the sport provides.
The committee has partnered with the NHL Coaches' Association to increase the number of female coaches participating in the NHLCA's annual Coaches Mentorship Program.
"Consistent with what we've been saying for the past year, this is a journey, it's not an event," Davis said. "It takes time, preparation, and collaboration and partnership to make sure we are ready to move from emotion to action. Here's the demonstration of that."
NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report