19 hours ago (since writing this post), a post pertaining to the Coyotes demonstrating their support of Pride Month and Hockey Is for Everyone made its way to the top of our sub. In that time, there were 10 reports submitted against the post, 116 downvotes vs 247 upvotes, 7 bans for trolling/hateful opinions/etc, and a metric shit ton of bad-faith arguments and division.
It’s crazy to me that the phrase “Hockey is for Everyone” can be so divisive. So, for the people in the back, **just because you havent experienced prejudice in hockey doesnt mean that it doesnt exist.**
Let’s take a look at some examples of how hockey still **IS NOT** for everyone:
From the highest levels of the game-
2018 – Chicago Fans chant “Basketball, Basketball, Basketball” at Devante Smith-Pelly in a Penalty box (https://www.npr.org/2018/02/19/587122774/chicago-fans-bounced-for-racist-taunts-aimed-at-capitals-devante-smith-pelly)
2011 – Fan Throws Banana at Wayne Simmonds (https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/7007219/fan-throws-banana-philadelphia-flyers-winger-wayne-simmonds)
2005 to Present – Akim Aliu Details years of Neglect (https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/hockey-is-not-for-everyone-akim-aliu-nhl)
2020- K’Andre Miller Receives Racist Taunts During Presser (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/sports/hockey/rangers-kandre-miller-zoom-racism.html)
2020 – Mitchell Miller drafted by the Coyotes, despite a long history of serious bullying against a handicapped black student (https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2020/10/26/arizona-coyotes-top-draft-pick-bullied-black-disabled-kid-4-years-ago/3735555001/)
2022 – Then the Bruins sign the same kid after he is cut, b/c he shows promise, yet never showed remorse (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/bruins/2022/11/06/boston-bruins-cut-mitchell-miller-who-had-bullied-classmate/8290404001/)
2019 – Don Cherry Makes Racial Comments on the air (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2019/11/11/don-cherry-fired-racist-anti-immigrant-comment/2566800001/)
2010 – Kyle Beach is raped by a Video Coach. Team burries it and wins cup (https://www.nhl.com/news/kyle-beach-reveals-himself-as-accuser-in-blackhawks-investigation/c-327302872)
2016 – Hot Mic picks up example of homophobic language that has permeated the game since it’s inception (https://theathletic.com/3205344/2022/04/19/nhl-lgbtq-pride/)
2023 – Pride Night Controversies (https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/nhls-pride-nights-collide-lgbtq-political-climate-rcna78158)
2023 – The Conn-Smythe trophy is literally still named after a man who “offered $10,000 to anyone who could turn Carnegie’s skin colour to white” (https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/simmons-its-the-right-time-to-rename-the-conn-smythe-trophy)
Rape Culture in the NHL (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cqURgg1eslU9Ky7NOUHlvM0PJ5rVX-FHZuacYBUL77o/edit?usp=sharing)
That’s a brief list of examples at the NHL level. Now for minor leagues and below:
2023 – Hockey Quebec receives complaints about ongoing racism (https://theconcordian.com/2023/04/a-never-ending-pattern-of-racism-in-junior-hockey-in-quebec/)
2022 – Juniors Player suspended for racist gesture (https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/33370764/junior-hockey-player-suspended-alleged-racist-gesture)
2018 – Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal with so far zero repercussions (https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/hockey-canada-scandal-sexual-assault-2018-world-juniors-team/hhc54xdapaqx5l29kuimp09g)
2003 – Another Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockey_Canada_sexual_assault_scandal#:~:text=2003%20and%202018%3A-,2003%20incident,team%20won%20a%20silver%20medal.)
2022 – Brock McGillis states “There’s a homophobic slur or some type of slur said every time a team enters a locker room” (https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/hockey-canada-discrimination-brock-mcgillis-1.6672832) (https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/07/03/a-deeply-personal-story-of-anti-gay-attitudes-in-hockey-comes-to-edmonton.html?ref=blueshirtbanter.com)
2022 – Antisemitic Bullying Lawsuit (https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/03/30/lawsuit-youth-hockey-leaders-didnt-stop-antisemitic-bullying-tried-to-cover-up-evidence/)
2021 – A report from Hockey Canada finds “900 documented or alleged incidents of on-ice discrimination at all levels during the 2021–2022 playing season. Sixty-one percent of the 512 penalties called by officials last season involved insults based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition to those penalties, 415 allegations were investigated after the fact. Off-ice incidents were not included, which makes the likely number of incidents much higher.” (http://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Corporate/About/Downloads/2021-22-discrimination-report-e.pdf)
2019 – Homophobic language persists in USA hockey. Punishment increased (https://www.outsports.com/2019/10/31/20940627/usa-hockey-policy-gay-racist-language-slurs)
2022 – Bullying in USA Hockey (https://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1243934)
2022 – More bullying (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-hockey-academy-lawsuit-by-family-1.6525152)
2023 – More racial bullying (https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/racist-bullying-of-black-teen-allowed-to-fester-in-quebec-hockey-program-mother-alleges-1.6280570)
2022 – More bullying (https://www.reddit.com/r/hockeyplayers/comments/ym4r9e/the_bullying_started_up_again/)
2023 – Quebec launches hearings into allegations of ‘horrific’ abuse in major junior hockey (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-launches-commission-into-horrific-recounts-of-abuse-and-violence-in-quebec-hockey-league-1.6755470)
2019 – Oh look, more bullying (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-no-one-should-go-through-that-comtois-responds-to-cyberbullying-in/)
2023 – Harvard Womens Hockey Coach under fire for racist comments (https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/katey-stone-harvard-hockey-coach-abusive-allegations-1.6732019)
2015 – Sexual harassments in college hockey (https://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/03/11/ohio-state-womens-hockey-coach-resigns-sexual-harassment#:~:text=Ohio%20State%20women’s%20hockey%20coach%20Nate%20Handrahan%20resigned%20Wednesday%20after,according%20to%20The%20Columbus%20Dispatch.)
2023 – Juniors coach loses job after pulling his team from a game that they were being racially targeted in (https://globalnews.ca/news/9671762/surrey-hockey-coach-fired-racism-allegations/)
**In 10 minutes of googling, I was able to find hundreds of examples of why hockey IS NOT for everyone.** Keep in mind, these are only the examples that get reported on. There are thousands of examples and testimonies depicting racism, homophobia, sexism, etc in hockey, from juniors to college to the NHL.
Next time you are about to coin the counterargument, “but hockey is for everyone,” stop for a minute. Sure, hockey may have always been for you, but what about the hundreds of kids who have stopped playing and been bullied out of their respective leagues. Think of the victims of the countless abuses from active players that never received justice, because their abuser happened to be good at the game.
**IF A RAINBOW LOGO MAKES YOU ANGRIER THAN THE THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES DEPICTING WHY THAT LOGO IS NECESSARY IN THE FIRST PLACE, IT IS TIME TO TAKE A LONG LOOK IN THE MIRROR.** From Pride Jerseys to “Hockey is for Everyone,” they are symbols that we see and acknowledge the thousands who have been pushed out or kept out of this great game.
If you are a true fan of this game, you should want nothing more than everyone else, regardless of race/gender/sexual orientation/etc, to be a part of it, and when you make the comment “hockey is already for everyone” you are burying your head in the sand and spitting in their faces.
by ThatSpecialAgent
4 Comments
I did not read all this.
Something I thought was odd was that I had 3 “outrage” posts about pride inclusivity from 3 different sports subs that all looked really similar.
I never saw a single negative post/comments. Just people outraged about negative posts/comments.
It all seems really generic/karma farming… but, I follow no other social media besides reddit, so what do I know?
Gotta say, when someone asks me what hockey culture looks like, it usually comes down to beer, fights, and tons of fun. But then after that, comes SA, rape, bullying, and other forms of intimidation. Other sports have their issues. But hockey has gotta figure it’s shit out.
Fantastic post. I always try to avoid the comments on hockey is for everyone posts because of the idiotic things in the comments, but I know at least a majority of the hockey community is supportive of the LGBT communities and that’s been slowly improving more and more. But theres still so much work that needs done, this year in particular has really shown how many problems still remain.
It’s been a big shame to see some players proudly come out as bigots and try to undo whatever growth hockey fans have done as supportive, openminded individuals, so I’m proud of the coyotes org and its players for standing against that and signaling that minority communities should be welcomed here. We were one of the very few teams who had EVERY player wear pride jerseys no matter how religious they were.
They should totally rename the Conn Smyth trophy, and the James Norris trophy. The Jean Béliveau, and the Bobby Orr trophies would work for me.