Bob Dawson unfolds a piece of paper to read a quote from Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer.
“‘We’re more than just the hockey team, as you know. It’s what we do for the community. So it’s for me, it’s understanding what the needs are, what our fans need and what citizens want and be part of it,'” Dawson reads over a video call with CBC.
Dawson is a trailblazer for Black hockey players in Canada. Part of the first all-Black line in Canadian university hockey, the defenceman played with Saint Mary’s University from 1967 to 1971, where he was the target of racist abuse.
When the Senators announced their community cabinet last month to foster more authentic engagement with various communities, Dawson said he was saddened that many racialized communities didn’t get a seat at the table.
“[Andlauer] is taking steps to realize and put into action what he stated,” said Dawson. “It just happens that for the time …