Every player in the opening exhibition games in the National Hockey League’s restart of the season stood for the national anthem, while some linked arms as a sign of unity rather than kneeling.
NHL players on the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins all stood for the anthem on Tuesday, and teams involved in Wednesday’s exhibitions stood as well.
The Penguins and Flyers, two of the fiercest rivals in sports, united in solidarity this afternoon, to stand up against social injustice, racism, and hate.
The teams stood as one across each club’s respective blue lines prior to today’s game. pic.twitter.com/HPi36959Ns
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 28, 2020
The same was the case on Thursday when all members of the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators stood arm-in-arm while standing for the anthem.
Bigger than hockey.
We stand together for equality. #GoStars | #ForSmashville pic.twitter.com/zvzCEziaJG— x-Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 30, 2020
Kneeling during the national anthem, a demonstration against racial inequality and police brutality, hasn’t caught on in the NHL, as it has in other professional sports leagues. Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown raised a fist during the anthem in 2017, and San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward considered kneeling but ultimately decided against it.
The actions taken by NHL players during the anthem represent a much different philosophy than that of NBA and MLB players as they get back to playing games following season delays because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the NBA’s season restart on Thursday night, all players involved in both games took a knee for the anthem while linking arms and wearing “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts. Several players also opted to wear Black Lives Matter-themed messages on the back of their jerseys instead of their last names.
Pelicans & Jazz kneel together during National Anthem before NBA Bubble opener pic.twitter.com/kDttXEKI7o
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 30, 2020
In Major League Baseball, several players have taken a knee during the anthem, and almost every player took part in a Black Lives Matter tribute before the game that involved kneeling and holding a black rope.
Several prominent players in the National Football League, which aims to start play later this year, have signaled they intend to kneel for the anthem, including Houston Texans star J.J. Watt. The league has also said it will play the “black national anthem” before games on opening weekend.
