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Video: NHL Rangers and Islanders Stand Together During National Anthem

The NHL is taking a different approach to its stance on the National Anthem. Hopefully the NBA, NFL, and MLB take note.


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While most professional sports teams are kneeling for the National Anthem, thus far there is one sport that is taking a different approach. 

Before an exhibition game on Wednesday between the New York Islanders and the New York Rangers, players standed in unity together for the National Anthem.

Eric Trump took to Twitter to express his thanks to the NHL for taking a less-divisive approach to the protests and turmoil happening in America.

Meanwhile, the NHL may be picking up fans lost by the NBA, NFL, and MLB.

Many offer praise to the NHL on their handling of the National Anthem and protests that have engulfed the U.S. for the last several months.

It's a stark contrast to how the NBA has handles the situation, instead opting to pander and virtue signal.

Meanwhile, the NBA still faces criticism for its own hypocrissy in its handling of the human rights violations in China.

The Blaze has more on what may be becoming a new trend in the NHL:


Players from the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, and Nashville Predators all stood to honor the playing of the national anthem in recent games.

Not one single player kneeled.

On Tuesday, players for the Flyers and Penguins stood together in solidarity before their exhibition opener in Toronto.

The respective teams stood together on the blue lines to show solidarity — and the Penguins made sure the message was clear.

In a tweet, the beloved Pittsburgh team wrote, "The Penguins and Flyers, two of the fiercest rivals in sports, united in solidarity this afternoon, to stand up against social injustice, racism, and hate."

"The teams stood as one across each club's respective blue lines prior to today's game," the tweet added.

The tweet has been liked 8,000 times at the time of this reporting.

According to NBC Sports, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said, "A lot has happened since we played our last game. And we felt, both teams, that it was important to show unity given what's gone on and just wanted to be part of the solution moving forward."

The Stars and Predators also linked arms Tuesday afternoon before their exhibition game.

Stars captain Jamie Benn said, "You've seen all the other teams do it. We had some chats with Nashville and talked with [Predators captain] Roman Josi. We thought it would be good to mix it up, link arms. We stand for equality and I think it's important we keep talking about it and keep improving it."

According to The Dallas Morning News, NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said that the league would host an "opening night that we think will be memorable and powerful as we honor frontline pandemic workers and those who are fighting for social justice."

This is a hopeful sign of things that may come.

We all stand together in our never-ending pursuit of equality, but pandering to one group of people while also disrespecting those who love our country and National Anthem only serves to further divide the country.



 

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