"That's why I'm so passionate about this, because myself and other members of the HDA, we were those kids. "One part of it is morally, that I think doing what's right and getting kids from these underserved communities on the ice that would have never had an opportunity to play and completely change the trajectory of their life," Aliu said. It operates independently from the NHL but aims to work alongside the league and organizational bodies like Hockey Canada to make the sport more accessible and inclusive. The group's goal is to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey. But he's left an impression on hockey in another way: by co-founding the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) in June 2020, an organization he co-heads with Evander Kane, who currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers. Now 33, he wants to inspire the next generation of hockey players, while also preparing them for some social issues they might confront along the way.Īliu's new graphic memoir, Dreamer, which gets its title from his nickname as a child, illustrates his relationship with hockey - from the highs of scoring to the lows of intolerance.Īliu's NHL career lasted just seven games - and his last appearance came nearly a decade ago.
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Among his challenges, he fought an Ontario Hockey League teammate in response to severe hazing that he refused to participate in and faced racial slurs from one of his own coaches.Īliu, who was born in Nigeria and spent his early years in Ukraine, had a professional career that spanned 12 years and included stints in the United States, Sweden and with the NHL's Calgary Flames.
that I didn't let any of those other things bother me," he told The Sunday Magazine's Piya Chattopadhyay.įor Aliu, those "other things" included dealing with racism and facing the consequences when he spoke up about the treatment - which got him labelled a "difficult" player. Hockey hasn't always been kind to former professional player Akim Aliu, but he loved the game too much to quit. The Sunday Magazine 26:07 Why Akim Aliu doesn’t shy away from hockey's harsh realities in new graphic memoir for kids
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