Nazem Kadri, Akim Aliu open up about racism in hockey for new campaign

Stories were told by Akim Aliu, Minnesota's Matt Dumba, Colorado's Nazem Kadri, Toronto's Wayne Simmonds and Florida's Anthony Duclair.

Akim Aliu recalled how no one knew what to expect when he and four NHL players of colour sat in a circle inside a dimly lit locker room and, with cameras rolling, were asked to share their most personal and painful experiences involving racism.

“Everyone was really worried — because, obviously, we’re not actors or anything and with the really raw material — that we would run out of things to talk about,” Aliu said.

Instead, a film shoot initially expected to last no more than half an hour was approaching 90 minutes when the director finally said cut.

The stories were told by Aliu, Minnesota’s Matt Dumba, Colorado’s Nazem Kadri, Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds and Florida’s Anthony Duclair, members of the recently formed Hockey Diversity Alliance. The exchange proved so powerful it became the focal point of a two-minute video that debuted Saturday to launch an HDA campaign to eradicate racism in hockey.

Sponsored by Budweiser Canada, an edited version of the video (to meet broadcast standards for language and content) will be used in a commercial aired in Canada to promote the TapeOutHate campaign. An unfiltered version will be posted on social media.

As part of the campaign, rolls of black hockey tape with messages of support and solidarity printed on them will be made available for purchase with $1 from each sale going toward the HDA.

The alliance was formed by current and former NHL players of colour in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May 2020. This campaign represents its next step in raising awareness of racism in hockey, while at the same time seeking to make the predominantly white sport more accessible to minorities.