Sidney Crosby: ‘What happened to George Floyd cannot be ignored’

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. (Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP)

As the hockey world continues to move through a period of reflection in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has released a statement condemning racial injustice.

“What happened to George Floyd cannot be ignored,” Crosby said via a statement released by his Sidney Crosby Foundation.

“Racism that exists today in all forms is not acceptable. While I am not able to relate to the discrimination that Black and minority communities face daily, I will listen and educate myself on how I can help make a difference.

“Together, we will find solutions through necessary dialogue and a collective effort.”

The hockey world has seen a number of players speak up in the wake of Floyd’s death and the widespread protests against police brutality.

In late May, San Jose Sharks star Evander Kane called on prominent white NHLers to use their platforms to help bring about change, mentioning Crosby by name among those he hoped to see engage in the discussion.

“We’ve been outraged for hundreds of years and nothing’s changed. It’s time for guys like Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby, those type of figures, to speak up about what is right and, clearly in this case, what is unbelievably wrong,” Kane said on ESPN’s First Take at the time.

“Because that is the only way we’re going to actually create that unified anger to create that necessary change.”

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