This is bigger than a game.
Proceeding an exhibition game on Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be locking arms with members of the Boston Bruins during the National Anthem, per a statement from its players:
A statement from the #CBJ players. pic.twitter.com/heEidpGEuq
— x-Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 28, 2020
This statement came on Tuesday evening after the club's arrival in Toronto the day prior. The Blue Jackets are preparing for the Qualifying Round which begins for the boys in blue on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs - but it clearly hasn't taken their minds off of the real world around them.
Seth Jones on the Black Lives Matter movement
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) July 27, 2020
I think it's great to see the league taking the initiative we're trying to create a cultural change, not just in hockey, but around the world.#CBJ
This game between Columbus and Boston will be the first played by either team since the NHL season's suspension in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and both of these teams, along with many others, are choosing to show attentive priority to global issues first and foremost.
