By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
A Vegas Golden Knights video posted Monday was the team’s strongest statement against racism in light of the George Floyd killing at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.
The 3:07-minute video tracks the the National Hockey League’s pause on March 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to Floyd’s death that sparked a national protest against racism to the words of racial justice spoken by VGK players Ryan Reaves and Robin Lehner, who took a knee before the Knights’ first round-robin game against Dallas at the NHL Pandemic Bubble in host city Edmonton last week.
The Knights’ video includes footage of anti-racism protests, which was a big step for an NHL team because the league is not known for its players or clubs taking strong public positions on social issues compared to the players and teams of the NBA or WNBA, for example.
The video addressed everything from a tribute to VGK fans to a message of anti-racism. The Golden Knights’ YouTube page titled the video, “WeSkateFor You and said, “The world is different, but the game remains the same. And we can’t do it without YOU. #WeSkateFor Vegas | #WeSkateFor Equality.”
A powerful line in the narration was “Privilege of ignorance no longer an option.”
Take a look at the video here:
A response on YouTube:
And responses to the video from the Golden Knights Twitter post:
The Golden Knights begin the playoffs Tuesday with Game 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Forward Max Pacioretty is back for the VGK.
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