CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Former UPEI Panther Joel Ward wants to help make hockey remove racism from the game.
He has joined six other current and former NHL players on the executive of the Hockey Diversity Alliance announced Monday morning. Akim Aliu and Evander Kane are the co-heads while Ward, Trevor Daley, Wayne Simmonds, Matt Dumba and Chris Stewart are executive committee members.
“Our mission is to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey,” the alliance said in a release. “We will strive to be a force for positive change not only within our game of hockey, but also within society.”
It is independent of the NHL but hopes to work productively with the league.
“We will promote diversity at all levels of the game through community outreach and engagement with youth and will endeavor to make the game more affordable and accessible,” the release said. “We will also focus on educating the hockey community about the racism issues confronting the sport, while advocating for acceptance and equality.”
A charitable division of the alliance will be launched in the coming weeks.
The group hopes to inspire a new generation of players and fans.
“We are hopeful that anyone who puts on skates or sits in the stands will do so without worrying about race, gender or socioeconomic background and will be able to express their culture, identity, values and personality without fear of retributions,” the alliance said.
