“Racism is everywhere. Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it.”
That was Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba before a recent National Hockey League game. Hockey fans might wonder if “everywhere” included Dumba’s own team. The Minnesota Wild, based in the United States, drafted the black Canadian in 2012. So fans might doubt that Minnesota Wild managers are somehow racist.
Like all NHL teams the Minnesota Wild wants to win the Stanley Cup. Like all NHL teams, the Wild drafts players who will help them achieve that goal. No NHL team drafts players based on their skin color or nationality.
The storied Toronto Maple Leafs were not looking for a white American when they drafted Auston Matthews, from Scottsdale Arizona. The Leafs wanted someone who could produce goals, and in his first NHL game Matthews scored four.
Nobody plays in the NHL because their daddy or mommy owns the team, has a lot of money, or anything like that. Unlike politics or entertainment, playing in the NHL is based on merit. For example, the Edmonton Oilers drafted black Canadian goalie Grant Fuhr because he could stop shots.
A six-time NHL All Star, Grant Fuhr played on five Stanley Cup winners and in 2017 was named one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history. Still, Matt Dumba thinks that playing as a minority involves “unexplainable” challenges, and finds racism everywhere. Ryan Reaves of the Las Vegas Golden Knights agrees.
The black Canadian-born forward has also played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues, so it’s hard to see how racism prevails with those teams. Still, Reaves thinks there’s more to it.
“Not everybody is truly free in this country,” Reaves explains, “and I think that’s starting to come to light a lot more.” Reaves did not indicate if “this country” is Canada, where he made the statement and where he was born, or the United States, where he plays with the Golden Knights. Either way there’s a problem.
Hockey fan or not, any Canadian or American will have a hard time finding facts in anything Matt Dumba says
The United States and Canada, allies in two world wars, are two of the freest countries in the world, if not the most free in human history. All over the world, people leave their own countries behind and move to Canada and the United States because of the freedom and opportunity they provide. Many Canadians and Americans fought and died to preserve freedom and opportunity.
Everybody in the United States and Canada enjoys freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of movement. Canadians and Americans are also free to emigrate to the country of their choice. Hockey players unhappy with their country are free to move elsewhere, but they face a problem.
They can’t make money playing hockey in Peru, Egypt or Australia. They can make the most money playing hockey in Canada and the United States, where they claim “systemic racism” prevails and “not everybody is truly free.”
Ryan Reaves claims “In no way am I trying to disrespect the flag or people who fought for this country.” Those who did might think he is disrespecting everybody. Hockey fan or not, any Canadian or American will have a hard time finding facts in anything Matt Dumba says.
Lloyd Billingsley is the author of Lethal Injections, about the Elizabeth Wettlaufer case, and most recently Yes I Con: United Fakes of America. His work has appeared in many publications, including his hometown Windsor Star, and Lloyd writes regularly for Frontpage Magazine.
“Racism is everywhere. Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it.”
That was Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba before a recent National Hockey League game. Hockey fans might wonder if “everywhere” included Dumba’s own team. The Minnesota Wild, based in the United States, drafted the black Canadian in 2012. So fans might doubt that Minnesota Wild managers are somehow racist. 
