Before the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning resumed their second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series Saturday, they took a moment to reflect on why they paused in the first place.
Prior to Game 4 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the NHL played a 90-second video on the Jumbotron with the message « Black Lives Matter » urging its players to confront racism in America.
Following the video, Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each issued pre-recorded messages promoting social justice and equality.
Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App
« It was amazing to see everyone coming together and realizing this is bigger than sports, » Bergeron said, referring to NHL teams’ decision to postpone play for two days following the shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer Sunday in Kenosha, Wis.
« It’s about human rights. It’s about supporting our Black players and being for them and realizing there needs to be change. We want to be part of that change going forward, so this is just the beginning, » Bergeron added, while stressing the need for « actions » in addition to reflections and conversations about racism in America.
« We want to continue to use our platform to show that we stand together with all of our players of color and to continue to show that we’re going to be better, » Marchand said. « We’re going to continue to show our support. This is only the start. This is the beginning of a lot of change. »
Bergeron and Marchand spoke at length Friday about social justice in America being « bigger than hockey, » so it’s no surprise to see the veteran leaders represent the Bruins in continuing the conversation.
Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand make social justice statement before Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
Laisser un commentaire