NHL playoff games postponed for Thursday, Friday to protest racism

Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey LeagueBienvenue à LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockeyДобро пожаловать на NHL.com, официальный сайт Национальной хоккейной лигиTervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiinVälkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sidaVítejte na NHL.com, oficiálních stránkách National Hockey LeagueVitajte na NHL.com, oficiálnych stránkach National Hockey LeagueWillkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey LeagueBienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey LeagueThe NHL announced the four Stanley Cup Playoff games scheduled for Thursday and Friday have been postponed after the players on the eight remaining teams decided not to play as a form of protest against systemic racism and police brutality."After much discussion, NHL players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play tonight's and tomorrow's games as scheduled," the NHL and NHL Players' Association said in a statement. Several NFL teams canceled practice Thursday.The NBA announced Thursday it is hoping to resume its playoffs either Friday or Saturday.Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves, who is Black and played an integral role in the conversations among the players in both hub cities, noted an important difference between the NHL players and those in the other sports."I think if you look around this room, there's a lot of white athletes in here, and I think that's the statement that's being made right now," Reaves said. This statement that they've made today is something that's going to last."Video: NHL Players Stand United to Fight Racism, InjusticeReaves, Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner and Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Jason Dickinson lined up next to each other and knelt during the United States and Canada national anthems prior to the Stanley Cup Qualifiers round-robin game between Vegas and Dallas in Edmonton on Aug. 3 as a show of support for the fight against racism and for social justice.Dickinson viewed the players deciding not to play Thursday and Friday as another important step in that process."We can keep using our words, keep trying to get the message, but it comes down to action," Dickinson said. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society."In this moment, the NHLPA and NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices and beyond."Though there was some brief discussion among players who played in the evening games Wednesday about whether to postpone those games, they decided to play and had a broader discussion Thursday among all the players still participating in the playoffs."As we discussed today with other teams, there are many more guys who could be sitting up here and delivering this message who were in the conversation today," Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said.