The Hockey Diversity Alliance turns 5: Challenges, triumphs, what’s next
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Greg Wyshynski
FIVE YEARS AGO, the Hockey Diversity Alliance was a group chat among several NHL players of color, discussing civil rights issues and the obstacles that have prevented equality within the sport they love.
On Saturday at Canoe Landing Park in Toronto, the HDA is scheduled to host its Summer Fest, a grassroots event for over 2,200 people. They’ll come from diverse communities and different economic circumstances. They’ll meet NHL players and sports celebrities. They’ll also be further exposed to hockey, which has been at the heart of the HDA’s mission.
“We just want to continue to show off the amazing work that we’re doing,” said Akim Aliu, a former player for the Calgary Flames and a founding member of the HDA. “None of us gain anything from this personally, financially, or in any type of way. It’s just the families and communities that continue to blossom and grow through our program. And that’s something that, I think, the world should see.”
Wayne Simmonds, who played 15 seasons in the NHL and is a founding member of the HDA, called this weekend’s Summer Fest “a wonderful culmination of the last five years of all the work that we’ve been putting in [at the HDA].”
“Obviously, it was a struggle at the start for us, trying to gain traction and everything like that,” he said. “But I think we’ve really been able to sink our teeth into the grassroots level, and that’s kind of where we really wanted to start.”
The HDA-branded event will have ball hockey, food and a carnival for kids.
The eight NHL-affiliated players behind the HDA are scheduled to attend: Aliu, Simmonds, Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri, New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Dumba and retired NHL players Chris Stewart, Joel Ward and Trevor Daley.
Also expected to attend are former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch and quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has a long history with the HDA. Kaepernick shares representation with Aliu, and participated in a series of videoconference calls with the founding members before the initiative launched.
“He’s someone that we leaned on at the start,” Simmonds said of Kaepernick, now a civil rights activist. “It was good to pick his mind on how his battle went and how he went through it. He said if we were going to do this, obviously we had to stick together no matter what.”
THE HDA WAS FOUNDED in June 2020 during a period of civil unrest in the U.S. after the murder of George Floyd. What started as a text thread among a group of current and former players soon became a first-of-its-kind coalition, with Aliu and Evander Kane — now with the Vancouver Canucks and no longer affiliated with the HDA — as its co-leads.
Those six current and former NHL players announced their intentions in an introductory letter. They wanted to “eradicate racism and intolerance” in hockey.
“Although we will be independent of the NHL, we are hopeful that we will work productively with the league to accomplish these important changes. We believe in the importance of accountability in developing inclusivity and diversity for all involved in our sport, including fans and the league office,” the statement partially read.
The organization had a presence during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, which were held in the “hub cities” of Toronto and Edmonton because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL acknowledged the nationwide protests by displaying “We Skate For Black Lives” ads on video screens around the rink.
Defenseman Matt Dumba, a founding member of the HDA who was playing for the Minnesota Wild during the 2020 playoffs, opened the NHL’s Western Conference postseason with a heartfelt speech against racial injustice before taking a knee during the U.S. national anthem. He was wearing an HDA sweatshirt.
The HDA pushed hard to effect change in its early months. In August 2020, it published an eight-point pledge that it wanted the NHL to sign, with requests ranging from hiring targets for hockey-related personnel to funding for grassroots initiatives.
After months of negotiations, the HDA announced it would “operate separate and independent” of the NHL, which created its own Player Inclusion Coalition to confront the issues of inequality.
“The first route for us was trying to partner with the league, but we didn’t really see eye to eye on some of the subjects,” Simmonds said.
Within months of its founding, there were debates about the HDA’s motivations and effectiveness. Aliu said the most rewarding part of the past five years was feeling the temperature getting turned down around the HDA’s existence.
“There was controversy. There was blowback and pushback. You can see where we are now,” Aliu said. “When you’re on a ride of a lifetime like this for something that’s so much bigger than us … to see how timid we were on Day 1 to even be associated with this organization, to now being so proud and rocking apparel. We’re just being super proud of what we’ve built and what we continue to do.”
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE for the HDA in the past five years?
“That’s unfortunately an easy question to answer,” Aliu replied.
He said there was robust corporate support in North America for the HDA at the start, but that support has waned.
“That just means that we have to turn kids away because we have a waiting list to get into our programs,” Aliu said. “We’d like to continue to expand, but obviously this is a difficult sport to expand without money.”
Despite those headwinds, the HDA is having some of the most substantive impact in its history.
“We’re flourishing, and I think that’s because we’ve shown who we are and what we are. I think our character has shined brightly,” Aliu said. “Folks that were haters against us now largely see that we’re in it for the right reasons. They’ve seen the impact that we’ve had on kids, on families, on youth as a whole.”
A focus on the grassroots has always been at the heart of the HDA’s mission. Its introductory statement in 2020 included a passage that read: “We will promote diversity at all levels of the game through community outreach and engagement with youth. We will endeavor to make the game more affordable and accessible.”
Simmonds said that after the HDA’s early clashes with the NHL and the coalition’s critics, a renewed focus was on grassroots efforts.
“We realized that everything starts at the beginning. If you can affect change right from the start, then you save yourself more trouble going down the line,” he said.
The HDA’s first successful youth hockey program was in the greater Toronto area in 2022: free hockey clinics for children between 6 and 15 years old from diverse communities. The HDA has run clinics for the past three years.
Its early pilot programs had around 220 young athletes. Aliu estimates that the HDA has 1,500 young players involved in its programs “playing hockey completely free of cost,” with programs running 22 to 26 weeks.
“The numbers speak for themselves. About 45 to 50 of those players have moved on to play mainstream competitive hockey as well,” Kadri told ESPN. “These are kids growing more of a passion for the sport. The initial obstacle was just the introduction to hockey, and that’s what we’ve provided.”
The HDA supports programs in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal and Halifax, and is launching one in Vancouver. Aliu said there have been conversations about launching one in Chicago as well. The HDA said it has an 80% retention rate in its programs.
Aliu said that though the HDA is dedicated to promoting “people of color, because I think they’ve been largely overlooked for a very, very long time,” the organization is focused on breaking down all barriers to entry for young disadvantaged players — especially economic ones.
“We just wanted to help kids that couldn’t afford to play hockey,” Aliu said. “Our programs have 40% girls. Our programs have 30% white kids in them. White kids can be poor, Black kids can be poor, brown kids can be poor, Asian kids can be poor and not be able to access the game of hockey because of how financially demanding it is.”
Kadri said his most rewarding experience with the HDA was hearing from families that have gone through the program.
“I’ve had people tell me that the HDA has helped their kids make friends because of the camaraderie aspect of playing a sport they love,” he said. “Just seeing the excitement on the parents’ faces when they’re telling us these stories, you kind of have a realization of, ‘OK, this is why we’re doing this.'”
WHAT DOES THE HDA want to accomplish in the next five years?
“We’re just trying to bring hockey to the world. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here,” Simmonds said. “We’re trying to take a game that we love but that’s had some problems — and our game does have problems and everybody knows it — and expand the game. The more we can expand the game, the better we can make the game.”
Aliu acknowledges that “a lot is out of our control” when it comes to the HDA’s future.
“All we can do is continue to push, continue to grow, continue to look for financial opportunities,” he said. “That’s really what it boils down to: People wanting to support a cause to help communities that have been largely overlooked.”
Could some of that support come from the NHL? There’s no relationship between the league, the Player Inclusion Coalition and the Hockey Diversity Alliance.
Aliu acknowledged it was a “pipe dream” to have the HDA and NHL become partners one day, but believes their objectives can be aligned.
“We’re tapping into a ton of different demographics. It’ll grow viewership, it’ll grow talent, it’ll grow all the things that they care about,” he said. “The hockey establishment is huge for us. If we’re doing this together, I think we can get to a place where everybody feels welcome and safe in that space.”
Kadri, who’s entering his 16th NHL season, said he has never experienced any friction with the league about his role in the HDA. He believes both organizations have common objectives and that a partnership isn’t impossible.
“Even though we might do it in different ways, I think the end goal is very similar,” Kadri said. “One of these days, it might come to fruition, but as of right now, we are completely independent. And what a long way we’ve come.”
Week 7 shook up the College Football Playoff picture. No team earned a more impactful result than Indiana, whose win at Oregon is now the best in the country during the first half of the season. Indiana’s playoff chances jumped 21%, climbing to a 93% chance to make the playoff, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor.
Not only are the Hoosiers off the bubble, but Indiana also is chasing a first-round bye as one of the top four seeds, having cemented its place alongside Ohio State and Miami as one of the nation’s best teams.
Indiana wasn’t the only winner, though, as South Florida and Texas Tech both saw their playoff chances jump by at least 15%.
Below you’ll find one team in the spotlight for each of the Power 4 leagues and another identified as an enigma. We’ve also tiered schools into three groups. Teams with Would be in status are featured in this week’s top 12 projection, a snapshot of what the selection committee’s ranking would look like if it were released today. Teams listed as On the cusp are the true bubble teams and the first ones outside the bracket. A team with Work to do is passing the eye test (for the most part) and has a chance at winning its conference, which means a guaranteed spot in the playoff. And a team that Would be out is playing in the shadows of the playoff — for now.
The 13-member selection committee doesn’t always agree with the Allstate Playoff Predictor, so the following categories are based on historical knowledge of the group’s tendencies plus what each team has done to date.
Reminder: This will change from week to week as each team builds — or busts — its résumé.
Jump to a conference:
ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten
SEC | Independent | Group of 5
Bracket
SEC
Spotlight: Tennessee. The Vols have looked like a borderline playoff team against unranked opponents in recent weeks, beating Mississippi State and Arkansas by a combined 10 points with one overtime. Offensively they’ve been elite, averaging 300 yards passing and 200 rushing per game. Defensively, they need to stop the run to make to challenge in the SEC. They’ll have a chance against Alabama on Saturday to further legitimize their hopes. With a win, Tennessee’s chances of reaching the playoff would jump to 52%, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor. Tennessee ranks No. 10 in ESPN’s game control metric and No. 19 in strength of record. The Vols are projected in the committee’s No. 12 spot this week, which means they would get knocked out of the actual field during the seeding process to make room for the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion. The five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed spots in the playoff, so if the fifth team is ranked outside of the committee’s top 12, its No. 12 team gets the boot.
Enigma: Texas. The Longhorns took a baby step toward a return to CFP relevance with a big win against Oklahoma, but it was their first win against a Power 4 opponent and their first against a ranked team. Texas has the 15th-most-difficult remaining schedule, and with two losses is already in a precarious position. The Longhorns will play three of their next four opponents on the road (at Kentucky, Mississippi State and Georgia). There were encouraging signs from the win against the rival Sooners, from the stingy defense that flustered quarterback John Mateer all game to what looked like an improved offensive line that gave quarterback Arch Manning some time to throw. He completed 16 of 17 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown when under no duress. If Texas can continue to put it all together against the heart of its SEC schedule, it could make a run to be one of the committee’s top two-loss teams.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
On the cusp: Tennessee
Work to do: Missouri, Texas, Vanderbilt
Would be out: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Big Ten
Spotlight: USC. The Trojans have looked like a CFP top 25 team through the first half of the season, with their only loss a close one on the road to a ranked Illinois team. In Week 7, USC’s convincing 31-13 win against Michigan pushed it into more serious Big Ten contention. Ohio State and Indiana are the leaders, followed by Oregon, but USC has the fourth-best chance (7.1%) to reach the Big Ten title game, according to ESPN Analytics. That will change when the Trojans go to Oregon on Nov. 22, but they don’t play Ohio State or Indiana during the regular season. A win at Notre Dame on Saturday would be a significant boost to USC’s playoff résumé, while simultaneously knocking the Irish out of playoff contention. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, USC’s chances of reaching the playoff would adjust to 58% with a win against Notre Dame. According to ESPN Analytics, USC has less than a 50% chance to win its games against Notre Dame and Oregon.
Enigma: Washington. The Huskies have improved significantly and quickly under coach Jedd Fisch, who’s in his second season. Their only loss was to Ohio State, 24-6, on Sept. 27, but they lack a statement win that gives them real postseason credibility. Wins at Washington State and Maryland are certainly respectable, but bigger opportunities loom starting on Saturday at Michigan. This game has significant implications, because if the Huskies can win, they stand a strong chance of hosting Oregon as a one-loss team in the regular-season finale. According to ESPN Analytics, Michigan has a 67.6% chance to win on Saturday, and Oregon has a 70% chance to beat Washington on Nov. 29. The Huskies are projected to win every other game, though. A win against Michigan could increase their playoff hopes significantly.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon
On the cusp: USC
Work to do: Nebraska, Washington
Would be out: Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
ACC
Spotlight: Georgia Tech. Raise your hand if you had Georgia Tech at Duke on Saturday circled as a game that would impact the College Football Playoff. The Yellow Jackets would have been the next team to crack the latest CFP projection this week, and their chances of reaching the ACC championship game will skyrocket if they can win at Duke. Georgia Tech currently has the fourth-best chance to reach the ACC title game behind Miami, Duke and Virginia. ESPN Analytics gives the Blue Devils a 61.8% chance to win. The only other projected loss on the Jackets’ schedule is the regular-season finale against Georgia. Even if Georgia Tech reaches the ACC title game and loses, it could get in as a second ACC team with a win over Georgia.
Enigma: Virginia. The Hoos have won back-to-back overtime games against Florida State and Louisville, putting themselves in contention for a spot in the ACC championship. They host a tricky Washington State team on Saturday that just gave Ole Miss a few headaches, though, and need to avoid a second loss to an unranked team. The toughest game left on their schedule is Nov. 15 at Duke. Without an ACC title, Virginia is going to have a tough time impressing the committee with a schedule that includes a loss to unranked NC State and possibly no wins against ranked opponents. It didn’t help the Hoos that Florida State lost to an unranked Pitt, as the win against the Noles was the highlight of their season so far.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Miami
On the cusp: Georgia Tech
Work to do: Virginia
Would be out: Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Big 12
Spotlight: BYU. The Cougars needed a late-night double-overtime win at Arizona to stay undefeated and are on the path to face Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game. The question is if they can stay undefeated until the Nov. 8 regular-season matchup against the Red Raiders. BYU has its second-most difficult remaining game on Saturday against rival Utah, which is also in contention for the Big 12 title. BYU has a slim edge with a 51% chance to win, which would be a critical cushion considering back-to-back road trips to Iowa State and Texas Tech await. The Big 12 has also gotten a boost from Cincinnati, which has a favorable remaining schedule and could be a surprise CFP top 25 team. If BYU stumbles over the next three weeks, a road win at a ranked Cincinnati team would help its résumé. Speaking of the Bearcats …
Enigma: Cincinnati. Is this team for real? The Bearcats have won five straight since their 20-17 season-opening loss to Nebraska, including three straight against Big 12 opponents Kansas, Iowa State and UCF. All three of those teams are .500 or better, and the selection committee will respect that as long as it holds. Cincinnati also has November opportunities against Utah and BYU, which could change the playoff picture in the Big 12. ESPN Analytics gives the Bearcats less than a 50% chance to beat Utah, BYU and TCU.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Texas Tech
On the cusp: BYU
Work to do: Cincinnati, Houston, Utah
Would be out: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, UCF, West Virginia
Independent
Would be out: Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have the best chance to win out of any team in the FBS, with a 49% chance to finish 10-2. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, Notre Dame would have a 50% chance to reach the CFP if it runs the table. That seems accurate, given the selection committee would compare Notre Dame against the other 10-2 contenders, and it’s a coin toss as to whether the room would agree that the Irish’s résumé and film make them worthy of an at-large bid. How Miami and Texas A&M fare will impact this — as will the head-to-head results if those teams don’t win their respective leagues and are also competing with the Irish for one of those at-large spots. It helps Notre Dame that opponents USC and Navy could finish as CFP top 25 teams if they continue to win. Undefeated Navy could also make a run at the Group of 5 playoff spot.
Group of 5
Spotlight: South Florida. South Florida. The Bulls are back on top after their convincing 63-36 win at previously undefeated North Texas, which just a week ago was listed here as a potential Group of 5 contender. Following the win, the Bulls’ chances of reaching the CFP increased by 20%, according to ESPN Analytics. South Florida’s lone loss was Sept. 13 at Miami, 49-12, which was a significant defeat against what could be the committee’s No. 1 team. Although that result showed the gap between the Bulls and one of the nation’s top teams, it certainly didn’t eliminate South Florida, which has one of the best overall résumés of the other contenders. With wins against Boise State, Florida and now at North Texas, this is a team that earned the edge in this week’s latest projection. Still, South Florida has the second-best chance of any Group of 5 school to reach the playoff (30%) behind Memphis (42%), according to ESPN Analytics.
Enigma: UNLV. Undefeated UNLV survived a scare from 1-5 Air Force on Saturday to stay undefeated and in contention for a playoff spot. UNLV and Boise State, both of the Mountain West Conference, are the only teams outside of the American Conference with at least a 5% chance to reach the playoff, and they play each other in a critical game on Saturday. UNLV has scored at least 30 points in each of its six games this season and is 6-0 for the first time since 1974, but it hasn’t always been pretty. UNLV scored the winning touchdown against Air Force with 36 seconds left and allowed the Falcons 603 total yards. The Rebels have the fourth-best chance to reach the playoff at 9% behind the American’s Memphis, South Florida and Tulane.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: South Florida
Work to do: Memphis, Navy, Tulane, UNLV
Bracket
Based on our weekly projection, the seeding would be:
First-round byes
No. 1 Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
No. 2 Miami (ACC champ)
No. 3 Indiana
No. 4 Texas A&M (SEC champ)
First-round games
On campus, Dec. 19 and 20
No. 12 South Florida (American champ) at No. 5 Alabama
No. 11 LSU at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Georgia
No. 9 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ) at No. 8 Oregon
Quarterfinal games
At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
No. 12 South Florida/No. 5 Alabama winner vs. No. 4 Texas A&M
No. 11 LSU/No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Indiana
No. 10 Oklahoma/No. 7 Georgia winner vs. No. 2 Miami
No. 9 Texas Tech/No. 8 Oregon winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State
The opener of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers had a little bit of everything.
So what can we expect in Game 2? We’ve got you covered with the top moments from today’s game, as well as takeaways after the final out.
Key links: How this NLCS could decide if baseball is played in 2027 | Bracket
Top moments
Follow pitch-by-pitch on Gamecast
Ohtani gets in on the fun with RBI single
Shohei Ohtani extends the Dodgers lead! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/yPksuiw557
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2025
Muncy’s drive adds to L.A.’s lead
Max Muncy got just enough #NLCS https://t.co/ayn3zqzIms pic.twitter.com/Bv02aaeIgv
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2025
Dodgers take their first lead of Game 2
Andy Pages drives in the second @Dodgers run of the inning! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/PcRzInEX5m
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2025
Teoscar answers with a blast of his own
GAME TWO TEO #NLCS pic.twitter.com/dEZyCDtXJp
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2025
Chourio gets Brewers on board first
JACKSON CHOURIO LEADOFF BLAST! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/gi7YrJHXpo
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2025
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