Matt Dumba felt like he was on his own dealing with the racial taunting he received as a child.
Dumba was a minority player in the National Hockey League as an adult. In a circle of his teammates, the Minnesota defenseman was alone in kneeling to protest racism.
Dumba has gained some perspective to know that he is not the only one who has been through the same thing.
"I'm the first one to say our generation, everything with the phones, social media, it's not an easy world to live in," Dumba said during a recent interview.
"Segregation and how people of color were treated, it really gave you a different perspective on things, and just how much they did for us to even be in a position where we can make our impact felt in the present," he said. Everyone pulls on the rope to better the game.
Dumba is referring to his peers as well as members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance he helped establish in the wake of George Floyd's death. The 28-year-old player with a Filipino mother and white father is referring to those who have faced discrimination since hockey's earliest days.
The film "Black Ice" will be released on Friday.
The movie shows the inroads made and struggles encountered by members of the Nova Scotia-based coloured hockey league. The league was founded in the late 1800s and lasted until the 1930s, but was almost forgotten until it was featured in a book in 2004.
The film documents firsthand experiences in revealing just how marred by hate hockey remains in affecting current players, from the NHL to 16-year-old goalie MarkConnors, the son of mixed-raced parents who faced racial slurs while competing in a tournament.
The reality that Dumba and others have faced hit home when watching the lateHerb Carnegie break down in tears during a television interview in response to the Toronto Maple Leafs founder saying he'd pay anyone $10,000 if they could sign him.
Dumba said that it was not right that the trophy awarded to the playoffs' most valuable player was named after Smythe. People are watching that. The sad part is that people are now realizing that it is still happening.
Dumba is among those who say the NHL has been slow to adapt and grow. The HDA launched a program to bring hockey to under-served communities in Toronto after being turned down by the NHL for financing.
According to the film, the NHL doesn't seem to know what to do with diversity.
Dumba said it goes back to everything that's been done for a long time. The old boys' club has the power to dictate who is and who is not welcome. I'm tired of it.
There have been recent signs of progress in hockey.
Five years ago, Kim Davis was hired by the NHL to serve as a senior VP, and she has since helped establish the league's executive inclusion council to focus on improving diversity.
The NHL hired Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, to create a leaguewide racial and gender report card. The baseline report will be used by the league to chart a path forward as it becomes more diverse.
Sarah Nurse doesn't need a report card to know how hockey needs to change.
"If we want to see a shift in hockey culture, if we want to see hockey grow, the NHL needs to take diversity, anti-racism and inclusion very seriously," said Nurse. They need to lead.
She has seen friends turn their children to play soccer or basketball instead of hockey.
Nurse said that expense and lack of role models for children of color are reasons.
One of those role models is the nurse. The first woman to grace the cover of an NHL video game was on the cover of this summer's edition.
Dumba was a big fan of Paul Kariya and Jarome Iginla. He remembered having dinner a few weeks ago with Kadri, who is the son of immigrants from Lebanon. The young boy of color stopped his parents from taking a picture with him.
It's possible to see the impact we're making. Dumba said that it is worth it. I think that is the reason we're all doing this. They feel like they're not alone because it's for the next generation.
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