Cayden Lindstrom, Tij Iginla and Zayne Parekh highlighted a memorable 2024 NHL draft for hockey diversity, says Avry Lewis-McDougall.
The first NHL draft in Las Vegas will always be one to remember.
It was the first major sporting event held in the Sphere and had numerous viral moments, but when it came to the game's growth and diversity, this year's draft may have been one of the best the league has seen.
Cayden Lindstrom, Tij Iginla and Zayne Parekh were all drafted in the top 10. Not only are the three a part of a special instance in draft history, but they're also projected to be bona fide game-breakers at the NHL level.
Lindstrom is a power forward who'll be a tremendous addition to Columbus. Parekh will surely develop into one of Calgary's top blueliners, and Iginla will eventually join a Utah squad known for turning young talent into important assets going back to their time as the Arizona Coyotes.
"There are kids who look up to me every day — I want to set a good example and conduct myself in the right way all the time," Parekh told reporters at the NHL combine earlier in June. "For kids out there, it doesn't matter what race you are — this sport is for everyone."
Players of color taken inside the top 10 of the NHL draft are becoming a more common sight, including Quinton Byfield going second overall in 2020 to Los Angeles, making him the highest-drafted Black NHL player ever.
But the diversity went further than that, as William Douglas of NHL.com's "Color of Hockey" blog discussed in the leadup to the draft.
EJ Emery went to the New York Rangers 30th overall and said he models his game off K'Andre Miller, a 2018 Rangers first-rounder. Kevin He became the second Chinese-born player to be drafted when the Winnipeg Jets selected him in the fourth round.
Chase Wutzke, a member of the Metis Nation, was drafted 142nd overall by the Minnesota Wild. Dalyn Wakely of Curve Lake First Nation and Sam McCue of Abenaki-Odanak First Nation joined the Edmonton Oilers. Hiroki Gojsic (94th overall to Nashville), Ty Henry (163rd overall to Chicago), Javon Moore (112th to Ottawa) and Blake Montgomery (117th to Ottawa) were also selected this weekend.
As awesome as it was to see these players put on an NHL jersey for the first time and have their moments, there was the expected pushback from some on social media, with people questioning the importance of race and its significance in relation to the draft.
Recognizing the accomplishments of players of color is a way of showing how far the sport, albeit not perfect, has come in producing even more top-level talent among players of diverse backgrounds. There were also people on social media giving immense praise toward these selections.
Being able to become someone people can look up to is a big deal to people who can now see themselves in the world of hockey more and more.
As the NHL continues to evolve, it should be a great sign that the players on the ice will continue to become more diverse as well.