Two NHL prospects in the NCAA plan to kneel during US national anthem this afternoon

At least two NCAA players players plan to make a statement during their hockey club's home opener on Wednesday as both Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jasper Weatherby have declared their intent to take a knee during the national anthem when North Dakota takes on Miami U.

"We believe racial injustices and the (poor) treatment of minorities and people of color in this country needs to stop, and it needs to be improved all over America and all over the world. For us, being able to have a platform in a place where there aren't a lot of people of color in hockey or in Grand Forks, it's a really interesting position for us to be in. It's a great platform," Weatherby told Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.

The two caucasian players hope that their showing of respect and support to the minority communities will spark some meaningful conversation, despite their awareness that not everyone will approve of the method they use to deliver their message.

"I think change is uncomfortable for a lot of people," he added. "If this (demonstration) is uncomfortable for you, it's a great opportunity to educate yourself and look inside and ask yourself, 'Why does that upset me?' and, 'Why is someone from my hometown doing this?' We hope the hockey community knows that we stand with people of color and we are not OK with the way people are being treated in this country," said Weatherby.

The argument has been made in the past that kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful to those who put their lives on the line to protect the righrs and freedoms of the citizens of the United States, but Bernard-Docker dismissed the idea that the two teammates' plans to kneel during the anthem relates in any way to disrespect toward the servicemen and women of US military.

"I have the utmost respect for the military and people who have served," he said. "I have no disrespect to veterans. I have two grandpas who fought in world wars. They have passed away now. But I have no doubt they would support what I'm fighting for, which is the right to be treated equally. People fought for our country so citizens could have fundamental rights. This is what the military fought for."

Both Bernard-Docker (OTT, 1st round) and Weatherby (SJ, 4th round) are NHL prospects, both having been drafted in 2018.

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