Professional Hockey Players, Partners React on Social Media as Biden & Harris Win 2020 US Presidential Election
Players commemorated online, as Joe Biden became the 46th US President and Kamala Harris made US Vice President history as the first woman and woman of colour.
After several days of unrest due to ballot counting, social media has rejoiced early on a historical November morning. Users commemorated online, as Joe Biden became the 46th US President and Kamala Harris made US Vice President history as the first woman and woman of colour. ‘Doom-scrolling’ turned into ‘joy-scrolling’, as celebratory memes and posts funneled through platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
For some, it’s the end of four years of ‘fake news’. For others, it’s the fact that girls around the world can see a woman in a powerful role the White House. For many, it’s just the start of opportunities to bring racial, economic, social and environmental justice in the US.
This is a running list of high-profile hockey players (and, for some, their partners) who shared and reposted thoughts on the election results.
JT Brown and his wife Lexi
Brown, the first player to protest during an NHL national anthem ceremony, showed appreciation for Black voters, specifically women in his Instagram post.
“Black folx, y’all showed up in Atl., Det., Mil., Phil., and others for this country (despite voter suppression & disenfranchisement). Black women carried this election. Like Doc Rivers said, “we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back.” — @jtbrown23 on Instagram
As a member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA), a group of current and former NHL players dedicated to eradicating systemic racism and intolerance in ice hockey, Brown acknowledged that the work isn’t over yet.
“Black Lives Matter and so does the Black vote. The dems owe Black folx for this win. The work isn’t done today. Time to stay united and continue to fight for democracy, justice, and equality. ✊” — @jtbrown23 on Instagram
Brown’s wife Lexi posted a photo of their daughter Lily, reiterating what many women and mothers are celebrating today: Harris is the first woman and woman of mixed race to serve as VP in the US, a model for young girls of colour who haven’t seen themselves represented in high political positions.
“Kamala Harris first woman and first Black woman VP of the United States of America! Dream big baby ❤️” — @lexilafleur on Instagram
Blake Wheeler
Wheeler, forward Captain of the Winnipeg Jets, was also vocal during the Minnesota protests after George Floyd was killed. He shared this hopeful notes app post on Twitter and Instagram:
“I hope Joe Biden doesn’t forget who voted him into the White House. I also hope he can speak for the Americans that didn’t vote for him. I hope we can start celebrating the good in each other and stop fighting about our differences. My daughter gets to see a woman as Vice President of the USA. For the first time in a while, I’m hopeful.” — @biggiefunke on Twitter
Stephen Johns
Johns, a defenceman for the Dallas Stars, was recently applauded for being the first publicly-known white NHL hockey player to take the BlackGirlsHockeyClub (BGHC) #GetUncomfortable Pledge, retweeted a meme posted by NBA legend and a leading athlete advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement, LeBron James.
It depicts James, photoshopped with Biden’s face, blocking Andre Iguodala, photoshopped with Trump’s face, in the iconic 2016 NBA Finals between image.
Tony DeAngelo
DeAngelo, a defenceman of the NY Rangers, congratulated and bidded luck to Biden. He also responded to a Tweet asking whether he wanted Trump to be president, or the NYR to win the Stanley Cup this upcoming season, to which he responded “Win cup 😂.”
“Congrats to Joe Biden & wishing him all the best. Goodluck! God Bless the USA. 🇺🇸🇺🇸” — @tonydee07 on Twitter
Jacob Trouba
Trouba, a defencemen of the NY Rangers, made a brief though significant Tweet. It read his excitement for the future of the US, and referenced the moving moment when CNN reporter Van Jones was emotional on TV after the election announcement, repeating that “character matters, truth matters, being a good person matters.”
“Character matters. Excited for our future. #46.” — @jacobtrouba on Twitter
Hilary Knight
Knight, a forward of the US Womens National Hockey Team and member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) joked about Trump’s loss, referencing the former President’s go-to line from his reality show The Apprentice.
“Too soon to say, “You’re fired!”? Asking for a friend.” — @hilaryknight on Twitter
Kendall Coyne
Coyne, a forward of the US Womens National Hockey Team and member of the PWHPA, amplified the celebrations by retweeting posts, including a Tweet from former First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama.
“There is a black woman as the Vice President of the United States. I can barely believe I am typing this. You don’t know what this means to me and every single black girl out there. Anything is possible! Wow!” — @agentnicolelynn on Twitter
“Kamala Harris has amde history as the first Black woman to become VP. She is also the first person of South Asian descent to hold the role. She will become the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government. The future is bright, indeed.” — @billiejeanking on Twitter
“I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indien-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it.” — @MichelleObama on Twitter
Braden Holtby’s wife Brandi
Holtby, previously the goaltender of the Washington Capitals, declined the invitation to visit the White House when the team won the Stanley Cup in 2019, saying he was “staying true to his values”. He is not as active on social media, but his wife Brandi said what we can assume he also would’ve:
“Madam 👏 Vice 👏 President 👏 Thank you, America!” — @bbholtby on Twitter, referencing Kamala Harris’ win
Dominik Hasek
Hasek, a former NHL goaltender, tweeted about the collective breakdown four years ago when Donald Trump was elected. He emphasized that young people and more worked hard, and deserve to celebrate today.
[Translated from Czech to English by Google] “I remember 4 years ago the tears of young people in particular, but not only them. All the more they can now appreciate and enjoy the sense of today’s victory of their presidential candidate. You have done a lot for it and you deserve to be celebrated. Congratulations!!!👍” — @hasek_dominik on Twitter
He also retweeted a viral video of people in front of the White House, dancing to Trump’s campaign song ‘YMCA’ by the Village People.
[Translated from Czech to English by Google]: “When you think about it, the announcement of Joe Biden as the new elected president on Saturday before lunch …. There couldn’t have been a better time for most of the nation to celebrate properly outside 😊”
Professional athletes have the privilege of large followings to amplify significant topics, similar to when a majority of players spoke out after George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin in May this year. The intersectionality of sports and politics has historically struggled to reach acknowledgement in the hockey world, and this short list defines that. I hope that I can add to this article with more voices, as the results of this election affects everyone.
This article will be updated with additional content if/when necessary. Please DM me @quinnsedgework on Twitter for players I’ve missed, and thank you to those who have!
