By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer
Multiculturalism and hockey are often portrayed as encapsulating the Canadian identity; however, the two don’t seem to intersect. This sentiment is shared in an article from the University of Toronto Press, written on sportscaster Harnarayan Singh, the first Sikh person to commentate an NHL game in English. He was also the first person to commentate in Punjabi. This is a reminder that Canada’s most celebrated sport doesn’t reflect its praised diversity.
The NHL consistently ranks as the whitest professional sports league in North America, illustrating a stark contrast between the country’s supposed values and its beloved national game. This juxtaposition is not simply a standalone outlier, but rather a visible manifestation of the Canadian project itself. Growing up south of the border, Canada was always shrouded in an ethos of quiet pacifism, especially in comparison to the US as a whole. But what does it mean when so many NHL players are white, and when those who are not are subjected to racism?
It might be easy to say that there’s nothing stopping minority players from reaching the highest level — while, at the same time, celebrating those who do as shining stories of success amongst a backdrop of Canadian liberalism and supposed inclusivity.
It’s clear, both from history and current events, that legal protections against discrimination don’t translate to equitable treatment.
The entrenched colonial institutions are designed to be more difficult to navigate by people of colour.
Despite this, racialized athletes have left their mark on the game. The Coloured Hockey League, founded in Nova Scotia in 1895, featured Black players who were innovators in the game — introducing techniques like the slapshot decades before they were popularized in the NHL. Despite their contributions, these players and the league were systematically erased from mainstream hockey narratives. In retellings of the game’s history, we see an apparent oversight that continues to shape the image of the game through the exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and other racialized people from its focal portrayal.
Hockey shapes its legends and lore around idealized violence as well. So much so that there is a historic player archetype, the enforcer or goon, whose role on the team revolves around fighting, often to the detriment of their own health. The NHL’s relative laxness on fighting compared to other professional leagues is evidently tied to the organization’s whiteness — the two cannot be separated. Beyond the world of sports, the culture on the ice illuminates a greater societal double standard — Black Canadians are dehumanized for simple existence, while pulls and punches pave the path to the Stanley Cup for many white players.
Sports should be a place where we can express collective pride and individual identity. They provide an opportunity to recognize the uniqueness of a diverse nation united by emotional investment in the game. But in order to reach a point where that is truly the case, we need to invest in other aspects of life that enable players to flourish on the ice. This means investing in equity across society, and relentlessly pursuing racial justice. It also means tearing down the imagery, language, and ideals associated with Canadian hockey — of a hegemonic visual of white masculinity.
As long as the sport’s culture reinforces such imagery, veiled as a celebrated illustration of culture, we must reimagine our connection to it.