N.S. teen targeted with racial slurs buoyed by call from former NHLer Akim Aliu
A Nova Scotia teen who says racial slurs were hurled at him during a recent hockey game got goosebumps on Thursday when he received a call from former NHLer Akim Aliu.
"I almost kind of blacked out throughout the call," said Logan Prosper of Whycocomagh, N.S.
"It's crazy, you know, all these former NHLers, you know, they're coming out and, you know, they're telling me they got my back."
Prosper, 16, who is Indigenous, was playing with the Cape Breton West Islanders earlier this week when he says a player on the opposing team, the Northside Vikings, told him he looked like "a turd" and that "all Natives look like turds."
He said he also heard adults in the stands saying he shouldn't be playing hockey.
Hockey Nova Scotia is now investigating the incident and has formed a task force to address racism.
Prosper has since received support from his teammates and the wider hockey community, including former NHL player Cody McCormick, who is from Chippewa of the Thames First Nation in Ontario.
The teen said the call from Aliu, who recently went public with his own experiences of racism within professional hockey, "really means a lot."
"Your story inspired me," Prosper told Aliu during the phone call.
Aliu told Prosper he was brave to speak up about the incident.
"People like myself, I look up to you as well.... Obviously we know it's not easy coming forward with our stories," Aliu said.
"But at the end of the day, I think it's a necessary step for the next generation coming up to not have to go through some of the things that we went through, and just for them to have a smoother path to kind of live out their dream."
'A long road'
Aliu said he understands and sympathizes with what Prosper is going through.
"It's going to be a long road, but I feel like you're strong enough to stick with it," Aliu said. "The only thing I got to ask you is not to give up on it and to keep going and marching forward."
Aliu said he was excited about Hockey Nova Scotia's task force, and said all provinces should work on making hockey safe and welcoming.
Prosper was scheduled to meet with Hockey Nova Scotia on Thursday evening to discuss the incident.
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