Dallas Stars Lose Season Ticket Holders over BLM Support

NHL’s Dallas Stars CEO said he has no idea why the team has lost a number of season ticket holders over the team’s support of Black Lives Matter movement.

In a TV appearance, Brad Alberts stated, “But we/I stand by our organisation’s commitment and support our players 100 per cent to express their views.” On Thursday, at a news conference the NHL held in Edmonton with members of the Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canuck, Jason Dickinson of the Stars spoke for the team with his teammates behind him.

He said, quote: “We were able to start a good conversation among our team stemming from that moment. That’s exactly what we wanted. We wanted to get the conversation going, not only amongst ourselves but amongst the country and the world.”

Stars interim coach Rick Bowness added to the statement, quote: “We’re all against the social injustice and racial discrimination that’s going on around the world. If our players think that this is the best way that they can support that, then they have our full support and we are proud of the stance that they have taken.”

“Dickinson and Tyler Seguin knelt for both the American and Canadian national anthems – alongside Vegas’ Ryan Reaves and Robin Lehner – on August 3 in support of Black Lives Matter. The group had become the first in the NHL to kneel in uniform before a game.”

Last week, with full support from the players, the NHL postponed playoff games scheduled for Thursday and Friday. In a statement, the league said, quote: “Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognise that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centred on diversity, inclusion and social justice. We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognise this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society.”

A recent poll revealed that around four-in-ten Americans support the Black Lives Matter movement. In all, 43 per cent support the movement, including 18% who strongly support it. About one-in-five Americans (22 per cent) oppose the movement, and a sizeable share (30 per cent) said they have not heard anything about the Black Lives Matter movement or did not offer an opinion.