P.K. Subban was one of the first NHL players who posted something about the killing of George Floyd last week. On his Twitter feed, Subban shared an artist rendering of Floyd with the hashtag #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd. It may not seem like a lot, but by the standards of NHL players it was a bold move.
Even though it lacked more substance, Subban made it clear where he stood on the death of yet another black man while he was in police custody. Though he hasn’t issued any kind of formal statement about Floyd, Subban is backing up his previous tweets with monetary action. On Wednesday afternoon, the New Jersey Devil announced he was donating $50,000 to the GoFundMe that’s been established for Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Under the hashtag #ChangeTheGame, Subban noted that the narrative around these events needs to change, and that he reached out to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who agreed to match the donation.
Subban is one of the few black players in the league, though he has never been a particularly political voice in or outside the locker room. In the past, Subban has said that he’d never take a knee to protest police brutality. His foundation also runs the popular Blueline Buddies program, meant to foster connections between communities and police.
The sizable donation to Floyd’s daughter can be read merely as an act of empathy or a bold political statement. Either way, what can’t be denied is that Subban is taking action.
