Source: Don Smith / Getty
Joel Ward a black hockey player for the San Jose Sharks might take a knee in protest during the national anthem. During a recent interview Ward spoke about the national anthem protest and racism he’s experienced while playing professional hockey.
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According to Deadspin he said, “I’ve experienced a lot of racism myself in hockey and on a day-to-day occurrence. I haven’t really sat down to think about it too much yet, but I definitely wouldn’t say no to it.” Ward is only one of 30 black players in the NHL.
No hockey player has ever took a knee during the national anthem, but this might just be the beginning of it. Ward said, “It’s just been part of life that you always have to deal with. So when people get into Kaepernick and some of these other guys, saying that they’re disrespecting the flag, it’s not about just that. It’s about creating awareness about what people, like myself, go through on a day-to-day basis.”
Ward has the support from his head coach which believes in having a freedom of speech. There is no word on when Ward plans on doing this, but we will keep you posted on if other players join him.
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