Abstract
While multiculturalism and hockey are two features that are often said to define Canadian identity, they do not often overlap. This paper explores the Twitter discourse surrounding Harnarayan Singh’s 2021 debut sports broadcasts on Hockey Night in Canada and Sportsnet. Singh is the first Sikh person to call play-by-play in English in a national broadcast. We analyse this against the backdrop of racist remnants of colonialism in hockey resulting in the current majority presence of white players and sportscasters. Viewers’ reactions to Singh’s broadcasts mostly demonstrate positive alignment with Singh and support for inclusivity in hockey, however we find a pattern of race-related ideological assumptions embodying the existing tensions between movements to increase diversity in hockey while acknowledging a historic culture of racism in the sport.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
