IT ALL STARTS AT HOME
Eric Brewer roomed with biracial winger Jamal Mayers on road trips for three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. Brewer is now trying to help the next generation understand race relations, starting at home with his 10-year-old daughter.
Give credit where credit is due. Maybe youth is more in-tune with today’s multi-layered, multi-problematic society than they get credit for. Maybe being involved in marches to protest systemic racism issues isn’t just a thing to do — it’s the thing to do.
Maybe we can learn from them and others trying to bridge racial divides.
Formation of the independent Hockey Diversity Alliance, which includes Vancouver native Evander Kane as co-chairman of the seven-member group, has a mission statement to eradicate racism and intolerance in the game and society.
That should resonate with young and old, players and parents and people of all colours.
For Eric Brewer and Alex Auld, former NHL players with children who have embraced the game, they know real education to understand race relations starts at home. Brewer has a 10-yearold daughter, Hadley, and Auld a 12-year-old son, Sam, who are moving up the ranks.
For all of them, this is new territory.
Brewer played 17 seasons with six teams and roomed for three years with biracial winger Jamal Mayers and had mixed-race Bryce Salvador as a defensive partner for two seasons. Auld played seven full seasons with eight teams and in front of black winger Anson Carter in 2005-06.
Brewer and Auld know their kids play in a multicultural melting pot that is the Lower Mainland. Kids will be kids and sometimes say the wrong things. But learning from ignorance is the story.
“Kids are very connected,” Brewer said Monday. “I find their lives are much harder to navigate than when I grew up. We just didn’t have all the opportunities with media coverage and how quickly everything drops.
“They’re aware through school and even though upfront conversations, but it’s still not enough.”
How do you teach a 10-year-old about the a world in turmoil?
Brewer was born in Vernon and played for Prince George in the Western Hockey League. He also played in racially diverse St. Louis and knows of what can happen on the ice and in the room.
“In Edmonton, we had so many good guys,” Brewer added. “You were just another teammate, another guy in the room which is the way it should be. You didn’t really get away with a lot in the room, no matter where you’re from.
“But that’s not to suggest there wasn’t something out there (racially) though.” That would be naive. “We talk to our daughters about situations, that opportunity is just not the same for everybody. You try to walk them through it and how things have been layered for mom and dad. You’re trying to get them to be respectful and have some kind of understanding.”
So, are we turning a corner as a society?
“I sure hope so,” Brewer said. “Shame on us for not picking up on this (racism) before.”
Auld was born in Cold Lake, Alta., where his father was stationed at the Canadian Forces base, and grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont. Now, he watches the news with his two young kids and tries to educate them on what others likely endured — especially Carter.
“I don’t remember an instance, but it must have happened at some point in his upbringing,” said Auld, who spent parts of four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. “You want your kids to grow up and see everyone and treat everyone as equals. And the shift I see in society, it’s that you can’t be colour-blind.
“You have to be open to ask about their experiences and do it in a way of positive engagement about where they came from. You have to educate your kids about the human experience and (help them understand) that race plays a huge part of it.
“I’d be guilty of the fact that you grow up in an era where you don’t talk about race. But I like that the generation coming up now is willing to engage and talk, and be educated and willing to have some very tough discussions.
“That’s a big step, to put your neck out there and take a stand, that’s impressive.”
OVERTIME: In Phase 2 of the return to play plan launched Monday, players can return to club facilities on a volunteer basis to train and skate in groups of six. However, with only three Canucks currently in Vancouver, Rogers Arena remains closed and the ice isn’t in. The Canucks are awaiting confirmation of expanded rosters for a midJuly training camp. AHL invitees would be Sven Baertschi, Brogan Rafferty, Reid Boucher, Kole Lind, Mike DiPietro, Guilliaume Brisebois, Jalen Chatfield, Olli Juolevi, Ashton Sautner and Tyler Graovac.