The NHL will postpone its Thursday and Friday playoff schedule, the league announced. The move follows other pro sports leagues that postponed games to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer.
“After much discussion, NHL Players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play tonight’s and tomorrow’s games as scheduled,” the NHL said in a statement. “The NHL supports the Players’ decision and will reschedule those four games beginning Saturday and adjust the remainder of the Second Round schedule accordingly.”
Statement from the National Hockey League Players’ Association and National Hockey League. https://t.co/uV1F5iDeUS pic.twitter.com/JS2t0MvUij
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 27, 2020
The NBA and WNBA earlier Thursday announced they would not play Thursday.
Some players criticized the league for not shutting down. Minnesota Wild player Matt Dumba, a member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, said the league’s decision to play games was “disheartening.”
Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks tweeted: “Actually it’s incredibly insulting as a black man in hockey the lack of action and acknowledgement from the @nhl, just straight up insulting.”
