Sharks’ Kane expresses disappointment in NHL, praises players

Evander Kane expressed disappointment in the NHL for how the league initially handled its reaction to a slew of player protests happening across the sports world.

Kane and his fellow members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance formally requested that the NHL suspend all scheduled playoff games on Thursday, one day after NBA, MLS and some MLB teams boycotted games as part of a reaction to a police-involved shooting in Wisconsin that left one man critically injured.

Discussions continued Thursday to determine whether or not games in both the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles would be played or be postponed.

The NHL and NHLPA announced Thursday evening that games will not be played on Thursday or Friday.

“It’s been a very busy day. A lot of different conversations have transpired,” the San Jose Sharks forward said Thursday afternoon on Sportsnet 590. “I think the players that are in the bubble currently that were slated to play (Thursday) and even (Friday) feel strongly about not playing and having this to be a time to educate themselves and ourselves as a hockey community on these issues and show support for not only us as Black players in the league but Black people as a society and all minorities for that matter.”

Kane added: “The NHL as a culture has not been one to be very supportive or diverse or forward thinkers or leaders in any of these areas regarding social injustice or racism or any of these type of issues and for the players to step up today and make that decision on their own, like I said, I give them a lot of credit. …

“We’re not saying that hockey’s never going to be played again or it shouldn’t be played again, but I think at this moment in time there’s bigger things to be thinking about.”