

If you think this is the right thing to do, we’re going to step away.” “It wasn’t just me leading a charge by myself … It was, ‘Reavo, tell us what you think.’ They listened. But the fact that they see it through the media and social media obviously proves the point that it’s a big problem, for them to take a stand like that … I didn’t know how my teammates were going to take it, how I was going to go about it, how the league was going to take it.”

“(This is) not an issue that necessarily touches them or that they know a lot about. “I couldn’t be more proud of the players in this league,” he said. Among non-Black players who spoke passionately about a temporary halt were Shattenkirk and Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk. One looped in Minnesota’s Matt Dumba and San Jose’s Evander Kane, members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance the others featured two separate teams. One Eastern Conference player chuckled a little as he explained how a serious conversation was connected through three smartphones. When they talked with Reaves, they changed their minds. As Islanders coach Barry Trotz indicated Thursday morning, those players were discussing what was happening, but expected to play. New York and Philadelphia were getting ready for the second half of a back-to-back. At the morning skate for their scheduled game, Reaves met with several Vancouver players, including (but not limited to): Horvat, Alex Edler, Jacob Markstrom, Tanner Pearson, Brandon Sutter, Chris Tanev and Tyler Toffoli. Louis teammate Kevin Shattenkirk, now in Tampa Bay. “(He) let me vent a little bit, heard me out and gave me his thoughts … But as much as he helped, I still didn’t know how it was going to (go) over.”Īs we now know, Reaves awoke to texts from Canucks captain Bo Horvat and former St. Thursday, he texted Marc-Andre Fleury to see if the goalie was still awake. “And then I got to my room and said, ‘Are we really going to play tomorrow?’”Īt 12 a.m. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we?” Reaves answered. Reaves said he was at dinner with a few teammates on Wednesday night when Brayden McNabb asked, “Do you think we’re going to play tomorrow?” Before players on the two teams met face-to-face at their morning skates on Thursday, Vancouver knew how its players felt, and informed the NHL. Undistracted by game preparation, the Canucks and Golden Knights could pay more attention to significant life events unfolding in real-time. (Did anyone else find it extremely strange to watch half of MLB vote to play, including the Toronto Blue Jays, while everyone else didn’t?) They were the only teams not playing Wednesday as the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks refused to step on-court for their game against the Orlando Magic, igniting action across all sports.
31 thoughts elliott friedman drivers#
It makes perfect sense that Vancouver and Vegas were the drivers behind the players’ two-day stoppage of game action. It was an edgy, intense night - not for the faint of heart. The Canucks forward was a regular target, goaded into his second misconduct of the series. For the third-straight game, Antoine Roussel and Robin Lehner set the tone, chirping each other in warmup.
31 thoughts elliott friedman series#
The Golden Knights controlled the 3-0 victory, grabbing a 2-1 series lead. “For three hours (Saturday night) … they are my enemies again, but I will say, again, that as much as I hate them on the ice, I am very proud and I have nothing but respect for every single player that stood behind this.”
