NHL Diversity Report Reveals 83.6% of Workforce Is White 

Summary

• NHL released its diversity report on Oct 18
• Over 83 percent of workforce is white
• Blacks accounted for below 4 percent

The National Hockey League (NHL) published its diversity report on October 18, 2022, in a meeting of the board of governors. The document was a result of the NHL’s Executive Inclusion Council’s (NHLEIC) efforts to assess diversity and inclusion.

The 24-page report revealed that over 83.6 percent of the workforce at the NHL was white, with 3.74 percent Blacks and 4.17 percent Asians.

Report Aimed at Pioneering Social Change

About 2.5 percent of employees at NHL did not provide an answer to the survey. Titled “Accelerating Diversity & Inclusion“, the report aimed to pioneer social change in the sport via seven dimensions. It also considered the organizational functions performed at the league and team levels since 2020.

NHL’s executive vice president of social impact, growth, and legislative affairs, Kim Davis said that while the report was a great beginning, there was more to be desired. The document was an effort toward proving the NHL’s accountability. According to the executive, the league could improve in some areas even though it had fared much better than its rivals overall.

For Davis, the prospect of proving that the organization was transparent and accountable was not as intimidating as it was in 2019. Davis, a black woman herself, has been working with the NHL for five years now. She also highlighted the importance of development assistance programs in the league.

The NHL cited the positive strides it took by hiring Mike Grier as the general manager of the San Jose Sharks and appointing five women as assistant general managers. Despite the move, it was criticized by organizations such as the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) for moving sluggishly towards change. Previously, the NHL had refused to cooperate with the HDA to initiate measures for eradicating racial discrimination in the aftermath of the George Floyd incident.

Davis Unclear on the Roadmap for Inclusion

While Davis addressed the criticisms, she was unclear about the NHL’s vision to integrate diversity and a culture of anti-racism in hockey. According to the executive, the teams associated with the NHL have always been eager to do better with inclusion.

Davis also said that the NFL and HDA had the same approach of being more open and receptive to representation and new ideas, despite different goals. For her, the change within the NHL was gradual, and the organization was ready to improve its strategies going forward!