Before the Edmonton Oilers took on the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their five-game play-in series, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba delivered a heartfelt speech against racial injustice. Following his message, he became the first NHL player to kneel for the national anthem as Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse stood by his side.
“For those unaffected by systematic racism, or unaware, I’m sure that some of you believe that this topic has garnered too much attention during the last couple months.