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NHL Responds to NBA Postponing Games Due to Social Injustice Issues
The NHL has decided not to postpone games in wake of the news the NBA has canceled games. They will instead offer moments of reflection.
Days after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. Other teams followed suit saying they would refuse to play and the NBA quickly postponed all the games slated for Wednesday evening.
It was the first time in history an NBA franchise has refused to take the court over social injustice issues and there’s speculation this could drastically affect the NBA playoffs moving forward.
For hockey fans, there are now questions about what this might mean for the NHL games slated to take place over the next days and months.
Because NHL players have already started speaking out in support of NBA athletes for taking this stance and because the NBA reacted so quickly to the boycotts, would the NHL consider suspending games?
The league issued a statement via Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly after the Milwaukee Bucks walked out and the dominoes in the basketball began to fall. Daly says that the NHL does not expect the league to initiate a stoppage. That said, he didn’t shy away from suggesting the players had the right to express their feelings on the matter.
He noted:
“I don’t expect the League to initiate a game stoppage. Obviously, our Players are free to express themselves in any manner they feel is appropriate.”
Darren Dreger of TSN noted that the league expects there will be player protests. If full teams start to boycott games, the NHL will have to make a decision on games and how to adjust the schedule.
Is The NHL Doing Enough
The league did announce that the NHL will hold “moments of reflection” before tonight’s Tampa Bay vs. Boston and Colorado vs. Dallas playoff games. Naturally, there will be a lot of people asking if this is enough.
And, not everyone immediately canceled games, even as it related to the NBA. All three WNBA games were scheduled until the players banded together and decided to link up in protest. The original plans was that every seven minutes they will stop and protest, drawing attention to the seven times Jacob Blake was shot in the back. Instead, games will now not take place.
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