TOPLINE
Fans of the National Hockey League took to social media Friday to express their disappointment that players did not kneel during national anthems during exhibition matches just before the league resumes in August, and called on the NHL to do more to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
KEY FACTS
President Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, praised the league in a tweet Thursday and thanked them for standing during the anthem, unlike athletes in other sports, notably the National Basketball Association.
Colorado Avalanche player Nazem Kadri said in a post-match interview Wednesday “from a league standpoint, I think we’d like to see a little more acknowledgement, and to have [the NHL] address the situation and to know that they stand with their players,” according to Colorado Hockey Now.
The NHL released a statement Friday that players would wear special decal helmets to show their support for Black Lives Matter and similar movements, and that the phrase “#WeSkateFor Black Lives” will be emblazoned on screens and seat coverings during games.
However, that didn’t seem to be enough for many NHL fans, who thought their favorite teams and players could take a stronger stance against racism and police brutality, social media users said.
The hashtag #KneelForHockey went viral on Twitter as fans posted pictures of themselves kneeling in their jerseys and calling on players, teams and the league to do the same.