LATEST | Evander Kane leaving Hockey Diversity Alliance; calls out other members

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Cooper Godin
July 14, 2023 (2:10 PM)

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Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane has released a statement on his Twitter account on Friday afternoon to announce that he will no longer be working with the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA).

Kane noted in his statement that part of the reason he is leaving is because he isn't happy with how the HDA is being led by some individuals who are trying to push their own agendas.

"After careful consideration, I will be stepping away from the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA). Diversity within the sport of hockey is something I have been passionate about since entering the NHL in 2009. Three years ago, along with fellow founders, the Hockey Diversity Alliance was formed with its primary purpose to rid the game we all love of racism and inspire a new diverse generation of players and fans.

Over the course of our respective careers, each of my fellow alliance members have endured multiple forms of racism, and it was our initial goal to shed light on these experiences. In its early days, the impact and role of the HDA was significant. Unfortunately, my greatest concerns about our organization have come to fruition and the HDA is now being led by and influenced by members with individual agendas. There has also been a combative approach with other organizations and groups that have embarked on similar goals. This is a method I do not support.

As difficult and disappointing as this decision is today, I will continue to do my part in helping grow the game of hockey for players of colour. I hope to bring people together in a positive way to create a better future for the next generation of young hockey players.

Sincerely,
Evander Kane." Kane said in a tweet.

The Hockey Diversity Alliance was founded in on June 8th, 2020 by Evander Kane and former NHLer Akim Aliu, with the goal of fighting racism in the game of hockey. The group notably came forward in August 2020, along with other non-member NHL players to have four games postponed in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake.

That same month, they also put forward several actions they wanted the NHL to go forward with to fight racism including by s increasing the number of black executives within the league, mandatory anti-racism training for all league employees, and financial support for social justice initiatives.