Kevin Shattenkirk wants players in the NHL, and everyone in the his country to understand that racial injustice is unacceptable.
The New Rochelle, New York native was one of few players to speak on behalf of the Eastern Conference on Thursday and emphasized the severity of the events taking place across the US. Deuces made it clear that coming from another culture is not an excuse to take the issue lightly and that it is something that needs to be corrected. Shattenkirk was joined on the podium by Zdeno Chara, James van Riemsdyk and Anders Lee.
He also added:
The following is an excerpt from The Athletic:
I think everyone from my standpoint is on that same page and believes in the end, we want to do what’s right. And it doesn’t matter if you’re Russian or Czech or Finnish or Swedish, I think every hockey player knows that it’s inherently right to support this and take action.’’
The players chose to officially boycott games, following in the steps of the NBA, MLB and MLS. According to Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves, Shattenkirk was the first player to reach out to him.
It's great to see Shattenkirk, and others taking a stance.
(H/T Pierre LeBrun)
