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Our ask of the NHL

  1. We will accelerate our efforts to ensure that no barriers exist to prevent Black individuals from getting hired by, and advancing within, the NHL and each of our member franchises (individually and collectively, the “League”) and hereby commit to increase:
    1. the number of Black executives in the NHL to 3.5% before the end of the 2024/2025 season;
    2. the employment of Black hockey-related personnel to 5% before the end of the 2020/2021 season; and 8% before the end of the 2022-2023 season;
    3. the employment of Black non hockey-related personnel to 10% before the end of the 2020-2021 season; and 12.5% before the end of the 2022-2023 season.
  2. We recognize that it is important that our supplier base reflects the diversity of the communities from which we operate and hereby commit to create an inclusive procurement process that ensures that Black suppliers* are selected to deliver at least 10% of the League procurement expenditure before the start of the 2020-2021 season.
  3. We will ensure that the voices of our Black, Indigenous and racialized players are heard and that they have an opportunity to help change the culture of the League by imposing a requirement that at least 50% of the Executive Inclusion Committee (or any successor thereof) shall be comprised of members selected by the HDA.
  4. We will implement anti-racism and unconscious bias education within the League and make it mandatory for all League employees before the start of the 2020-2021 season.
  5. We will create HDA-approved policies and sanctions that reflect a commitment to zero tolerance with respect to racial discrimination and abuse before the start of the 2020-2021 season.
  6. We will not support, partner with or accept support from any organization that has engaged in, promoted or failed to appropriately respond to racist conduct in their organization of any kind (including, without limitation, the proliferation of hate speech, discrimination in the provision of goods, services and facilities and other areas such as employment).
  7. We understand that the collection and sharing of relevant, accurate and timely data is critical to the success of this initiative and hereby commit to transparency in the collection and communication to HDA of all information related to the policies, targets and commitments in this Pledge and the performance of the League in respect thereof on an annual basis.
  8. We will commit to provide HDA with funding, commencing July 28, 2020, for the following purposes:
    • to support social justice initiatives that target racism and access to justice for members of Black, Indigenous and racialized communities;
    • to create and maintain grassroots hockey development programs that will introduce, develop and support BIPOC players in minor hockey; and
    • to create an anti-racism and unconscious bias training program for use by minor hockey leagues across North America.

We acknowledge the research that has proven that organizations with truly diverse teams perform better and the fact that the game of hockey cannot truly grow to its potential without substantive changes to address systemic racism. It is our hope that this Pledge will be a meaningful first step to help the League ‘open its doors’ to underrepresented visible minorities across North America

* a Black supplier is a supplier who is either: (i) more than 50% owned, controlled and operated by black individuals; or (ii) whose personnel is comprised of at least 35% black individuals andwhose management is comprised of at least 35% black individuals

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