NHL Commits to Increasing ‘Diversity,’ Reduce Share of White Players, Employees

The NHL released a “diversity & inclusion” report on Monday declaring its commitment to implement hiring practices related to “racial demographics,” “gender identity,” and “sexual orientation.”

“We are working to better understand and accelerate our engagement across all layers of diversity – including nationality, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and religion – and their nuances and intersections,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wrote in the report’s introduction.

Bettman framed “the murder of George Floyd” as an impetus for “re-ignited movements for social justice” which in turn led the NHL to “new ways of thinking and new internal competencies.”

A social and cultural movement for change is growing across the NHL.

🔗 https://t.co/P1rVed6a4O pic.twitter.com/rWS4NLmPyj

— NHL (@NHL) October 18, 2022

The NHL’s first-ever Diversity Report outlines our vision for the future of the game.

Learn more about the actions we’re taking and our progress to date at https://t.co/P1rVednLto pic.twitter.com/ga1ACatnCJ

— NHL (@NHL) October 18, 2022

All NHL office employees will be subjected to a two-day “learning experience” regarding “the dynamics of bias, privilege, and power,” according to the report. Players and locker room staff will also receive an “educational experience” built upon “diversity” and “inclusion.”

According to the report’s executive summary, “Structures and cultures must shift to create an inclusive environment for all.”

The report repeatedly deploys leftist neologistic terminology and acronyms, including “LGBTQ+,” and “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color/BIPOC,” “allyship,” and “pansexual.” It also uses the left-wing stylistic approach of capitalizing “black,” but not “white.”

The Associated Press (AP) emphasized the share of the NFL’s workforce composed by whites, framing the NHL’s “overwhelmingly white” workforce as a “problem.”

The NHL's first internal demographic study found its workforce to be overwhelmingly white.

Kim Davis, NHL EVP of social impact, growth and legislative affairs, says seeing the numbers is a first step toward fixing the problem.

by @swhyno https://t.co/ufH2itfiip pic.twitter.com/OziGR3nrR4

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) October 18, 2022

In its article entitled, “NHL, its workforce 84% white, sets baseline to up diversity,” the AP determined, “Hockey has a lot of work to do to increase diversity at all levels.”

The AP focused on the share of NHL employees and players composed by whites — which is described as “predominantly white” — in its report:

The report released Tuesday found that 83.6% of the NHL’s workforce is white and that men make up nearly 62% of the total, based on the 4,200 people who participated in a voluntary and anonymous survey (about 67% of all employees).

That nearly mirrors the situation on the ice, where more than 90% of players and nearly all coaches and officials are white.

The NHL claims an intent to “bring about a new era of inclusion, diversity,
and equality in hockey” in a section of its report entitled, “COMBATTING RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION THROUGH EDUCATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY.”

The NHL’s “diversity & inclusion” report includes two mentions of “climate change.”

Kim Davis, the NHL’s executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs, said, “Change can feel uncomfortable. There are going to be moments that are very, very uncomfortable, but we have to have a plan of action. We have to keep moving in that direction.”
Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter @rkraychik.