These were the words from Akim Aliu, who opened up about his experiences as a black hockey player. The article, open for everyone to read, is a damning account of hockey culture, racism, and bigotry. Hockey needs to be better. Hockey needs to weed out the racists. But the problem goes beyond just a few racist players and a few experiences.
Hockey culture is toxic, a word you will read regularly throughout this post. Aliu’s story of racist teammates, racist fans, racist locker rooms, and racist coaches sheds light on just how toxic it truly is, and how players can be black balled by speaking out.