The four National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs, scheduled for August 27 and 28, have been postponed due to events in Wisconsin, USA. This is stated in a statement on the NHL website, published on Thursday.
It is noted that “after long discussions” the hockey players decided not to hold the matches on schedule, but to postpone their start to Saturday, August 29.
“We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breona Taylor and others require our participation. We are committed to working to use our sport to influence positive change in society, ”the statement said.
Earlier, on August 26, it became known that in connection with the protests, the National Basketball Association (NBA) postponed the matches scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday to a later date.
Last Sunday, police in Kenosha shot African-American Jacob Blake in the back as he tried to separate two quarreling women. The man was hospitalized in serious condition. The Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office is investigating the incident. According to her statement, all law enforcement officers involved in the incident are cooperating with the investigation. The state of emergency led to massive protests in the city, which escalated into pogroms and clashes with the police.