The National Hockey League (NHL) has recently come under fire from the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) for being “late to the party” in launching its own inclusion coalition. The HDA is a group of current and former players that was formed in June 2020 with the goal of promoting diversity and inclusion in hockey.
The NHL announced the launch of its own inclusion coalition in December 2020, but the HDA has criticized the league for not taking action sooner. The HDA believes that the NHL should have been leading the charge on this issue, rather than waiting for the HDA to take the initiative.
The HDA has also criticized the NHL for not including them in the formation of its coalition. The HDA believes that their input and expertise should have been sought out in order to ensure that the coalition is as effective as possible.
The NHL has responded to these criticisms by noting that they are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive hockey community. They have also stated that they are open to working with the HDA and other organizations in order to ensure that their coalition is successful.
Despite these assurances, the HDA remains critical of the NHL’s approach to diversity and inclusion. They believe that the league should be doing more to actively promote and support diversity and inclusion, rather than simply launching a coalition.
It remains to be seen whether or not the NHL will take further action to address the concerns raised by the HDA. However, it is clear that the league needs to do more if it wants to create a truly inclusive hockey community. Only time will tell if the NHL is able to make meaningful changes or if it will continue to be “late to the party” when it comes to promoting diversity and inclusion in hockey.
