NHL pulls back after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office criticized league for ‘discriminatory’ job fair

After the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the National Hockey League for hosting a “discriminatory” job fair that only certain groups of people can attend, the league backed down and said the event was open to anyone over 18.

The ‘Road to the Hockey Summit’ event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 2 during the 2023 All-Star Celebration in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is designed to help “diverse job seekers who are pursuing a career in hockey.”

According to a now-deleted NHL post promoting the event on LinkedIn, the event is only open to certain groups of people.

“Participants must be 18 years of age or older, reside in the United States, and identify as Female, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and/or Person with a Disability. Veterans are also welcome and welcome to participate,” reads the description of the event.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns with New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) at the Get Out The Vote rally on October 29, 2022 in Hauppog, New York.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns with New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) at the Get Out The Vote rally on October 29, 2022 in Hauppog, New York.
(Photo by David Di Delgado/Getty Images)

DeSantis spokesman Brian Griffin said in a statement that the event is discriminatory.

“Discrimination of any kind is not welcome in the State of Florida, and we do not share the common belief that discrimination should be ignored when used in a politically popular manner or against politically unpopular demographic groups. We fight all discrimination in our schools. and our workplaces, and we will fight it in public places of meeting or class,” Griffin said.

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TAMPA, FL - NOV 08: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers victory speech after defeating Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Charlie Crist during a campaign night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on November 8, 2022 in Tampa, Florida.

TAMPA, FL – NOV 08: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers victory speech after defeating Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Charlie Crist during a campaign night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on November 8, 2022 in Tampa, Florida.
(Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

Griffin also said the NHL should “immediately repeal and condemn the discriminatory bans it has placed on attendance at the 2023 Path to Hockey Summit.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NHL said “the original wording of the LinkedIn post associated with the event is not true.”

“The Pathway to Hockey Summit is an outreach and networking event designed to encourage everyone to think about a career in our game – and in particular to alert those who may not be familiar with hockey about the opportunities it offers,” a spokesperson said. NHL. .

The NHL removed a post about the event from its LinkedIn account on Friday night.

In further clarification, the spokesperson said the event was open to anyone aged 18 and over.

Several hockey teams send representatives to the event, including the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators , Seattle Kraken, Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.

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Victor Rusk #49 of the Seattle Kraken skates during a warm-up for a game against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Center on May 1, 2022 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Victor Rusk #49 of the Seattle Kraken skates during a warm-up for a game against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Center on May 1, 2022 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
(Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)

“The day will be filled with guest speakers and panellists, networking opportunities and more!” the event said.

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