Dumba sets tone with stirring speech

Minnesota defenceman speaks out against racism before taking a knee

Matt Dumba stood at centre ice in Edmonton and delivered a powerful anti-racism speech, pausing when he needed to, tearing up at times.

He uttered the words “Black lives matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters” to an international television audience, including “Hockey Night In Canada.”

Then the Minnesota Wild defenceman took a knee through “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“For Matt Dumba today, what he did was incredibly powerful,” Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “He should be very proud. As players in this league, we just want to give him support, and the movement support, and just be a part of it.”

Speaking at centre ice prior to puck drop between the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks, Dumba was flanked as he knelt by Chicago backup goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse. They stood, putting their hands on Dumba’s shoulders. The rest of their teammates stood around centre ice.

“During this pandemic, something unexpected but long overdue occurred: The world woke up to the existence of systemic racism, and how deeply rooted it is within our society,” said Dumba, speaking without a teleprompter or any device. “For those unaffected by systemic racism, or unaware, I’m sure some of you believe that this topic has garnered too much attention during the last couple of months. But let me assure you, it has not.” Dumba, a founding member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, finished with a powerful statement as well.

“I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans. Because Black lives matter. Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a great game, but it can be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.”

The words, and the moment, reverberated around the league.

“It obviously takes a lot of courage to get up there in front of lots of people and deliver something like that,” Leafs centre Auston Matthews said.

“It took a lot of courage and strength for Matt to go out there in a game he wasn’t even part of and make a statement for the Hockey Diversity Alliance and, more importantly, the Black community and people of colour,” Sharks forward Evander Kane said on “Hockey Night In Canada.”

“Matt identifies as Filipino, and I hope people realize how difficult it was for him to take that lead, to be the first player within our league to take a stance so publicly.” The NHL officially relaunched itself Saturday in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that shut down the league on March 12. Part of the reopening was a big thank you to front-line workers. The league had been criticized for trying to thread a needle on social issues, with it’s “#WeSkateFor” hashtag, promoting the idea that players can add any name or cause they want, including Black Lives Matter.

But “Hockey Night in Canada” set the tone with an opening that featured a speech about freedom from Nelson Mandela and a video, using Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” that told the stories of some of the game’s Black players.

And Dumba’s kneeling moment captured the central message of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Super proud of Matt and what he did,” said Akim Aliu. “Guys are standing tall and trying to make the path smoother for the next generation.”

“It was a very emotional moment,” said former player Anthony Stewart, speaking on “Hockey Night in Canada.” “A year ago, guys were afraid to kneel. Here he is … taking a knee, and it’s socially acceptable.”

Dumba is the only hockey player to have knelt during an anthem. Players in the NBA have been doing it, following the lead of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose habit of kneeling to protest police violence toward Black Americans so infuriated U.S. president Donald Trump. Players in European soccer leagues have done it.

NHL players are reticent. Ryan Reaves of the Vegas Golden Knights, who is the leading voice on the team’s social justice front, said he didn’t want to ask his teammates to kneel.

“It was discussed,” Reaves said on a conference call Saturday. “We wanted to do something as a team. For a lot of guys, kneeling isn’t the way they would want to show support. If we wanted to do something as a team, my big thing was I didn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable. I know if I said I wanted to kneel, I know some guys would feel uncomfortable. I didn’t want that.”