[Signing] Should NHL/Calgary hire more Arab/Lebanese players like Kadri?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Might as well draft a few women while we're at it.

Manon Rheaume, 1992; in the state of Florida under George Bush as president.

Can you imagine if that happened now?
It would be complete meltdown on wokeness, blaming Trudeau and Biden.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I disagree with both of the bolded statements below. Why do they NEED to find a way? Why does more NEEDS to be done? Who needs it? Hockey is a very expensive and time-consuming activity. There are many different physical activities that are less expensive, less time-consuming and much more accessible/available to everyone (running, weigh-lifting, volleyball, basketball, soccer etc.). NHL is an entertainment business. Why does Hockey Canada need to help anyone to get into NHL?

Hockey Canada is not an entertainment business, and it’s literally part of their mandate.

In hockey opportunities for all people regardless of age, gender, colour, race, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status and in both official languages.

[Loosh]

It’s going to take some time but over time you will see some Arab descent players. The Canadians first rounder Hage is of Arab descent. 3 of the top 60 players drafted in the Q this year were of Lebanese background. Adam Halat has been mentioned and their a few more in the WHL. I take great pride in having Kadri as a member of the flames and he has been great for the Arab community both in Calgary and in London. Would love to see more but it will take time.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Manon Rheaume, 1992; in the state of Florida under George Bush as president.

Manon Rheaume was never drafted. She played exhibition games (only) for the Tampa Bay Lightning, then signed an IHL contract with the Atlanta Knights.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Loosh

It’s going to take some time but over time you will see some Arab descent players. The Canadians first rounder Hage is of Arab descent. 3 of the top 60 players drafted in the Q this year were of Lebanese background.

I predict you'll see more Lebanese-Canadian players much sooner than other Arabs. It's simply a function of the dates of immigration.

Lebanon in the 1970s and 1980s was a very good place to get the hell out of, and there are now far more people of Lebanese ancestry outside Lebanon than in it. Canada has a fair share of these.

Large-scale immigration from other Arab countries into Canada started somewhat later. As others have pointed out, it tends to be the second generation that get interested in hockey and put their kids in hockey programs, and the third generation where those kids start to make the pros.

This kind of time lag is normal. In the earliest days of organized hockey, even though it was mostly played in Montreal, it was almost entirely an anglophone sport. It was over 20 years before the first senior team of francophone players was organized, and until that happened, if you can believe it, a lot of anglos believed that francophones were incapable of playing the game.

[butterfly]

Was this a joke? Weird thread.

[Goriders]

Guess my question would be are there any to sign?

[Locke]

What about an entire team of Munchkins? Could we swing that?

Thats what the NHL should do, it should be like the Spengler and have 'invitational spots' and we could turn the whole thing into a real spectacle!

We could have hockey's version of the Harlem Globetrotters!! It'd be great! Even the Washington Generals! Although they would probably have a better record than the Oilers and Utah...

They should appoint me to be Director of the Board of Governors.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Locke

What about an entire team of Munchkins? Could we swing that?

They're called Filipinos and yes they're a growing demographic

[calgarybean]

Originally Posted by BigThief

They're called Filipinos and yes they're a growing demographic

That’s called an ignorant stereotype and it’s a bigoted statement.

[FunkMasterFlame]

They are a tiny people ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by calgarybean

That’s called an ignorant stereotype and it’s a bigoted statement.

There’s a Filipino kid ranked in the nhl central scouting that I hope the flames pick in later rounds. He isnt small and is a mean motherfataer. Cassius Koch.

[activeStick]

The Robertsons are also Filipino.

[GreenLantern2814]

It starts with more outreach into different communities at the minor hockey level.

As more kids from different backgrounds play hockey, eventually more will make it to the show.

Then, the Flames will compete with every other team for their services.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by activeStick

The Robertsons are also Filipino.

Dumba

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Sedins were alien beings from an undetermined galaxy.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

It starts with more outreach into different communities at the minor hockey level.

As more kids from different backgrounds play hockey, eventually more will make it to the show.

Then, the Flames will compete with every other team for their services.

Yup, outreach matters and I don't know about Calgary, but Toronto does a really good job of this with an annual event held near lower income areas jointly hosted by the Raptors and the Leafs to get kids out there playing road hockey and basketball and giving them chances to meet their heroes who also attend.

The biggest factor for me though is still the cost for getting into organized sports, but as I noted previously average income of my generation is way higher than our parents who were the ones who first immigrated to Canada and as a result, we're seeing the next generation of minorities being represented more than before in hockey. A sneaky roadblock to having lower income folks in hockey is also the time commitment of parents needed. Those in the lower income space typically don't have the entire weekend off from work when practices and games happen. No personal driver to take the kids around is a reality for many.

[Icantwhisper]

Originally Posted by calgarybean

That’s called an ignorant stereotype and it’s a bigoted statement.

Technically it’s neither of those things, average male Canadian 5’ 10”, average Filipino male 5’ 4”and 1/2. They are a growing demographic and pretty awesome people

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Icantwhisper

Technically it’s neither of those things, average male Canadian 5’ 10”, average Filipino male 5’ 4”and 1/2. They are a growing demographic and pretty awesome people

True. A growing demographic, awesome people, but very few are well suited to play a contact sport at the highest level.

[GioforPM]

FWIW both the Robertson brothers and Matt Dumba are part Filipino.