For the past several years, the NHL has made an effort to attract a new, diverse fan base with one lofty promise: Hockey is for everyone.

The slogan started as a unity building initiative each February but is now supposed to be a year-round guiding principle for the league. But too often it's been only a slogan and the league's actions run contradictory to the message of inclusion.

There was, for instance, the decision to have Kid Rock play the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, or to suspend Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf for only one game after he used a gay slur on the ice. There's also the fact that the NHL is still trying to determine if former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov, who has been convicted of domestic abuse, can return to the league.

The NHL has faced scrutiny for these decisions, undercutting the message that hockey is a safe and welcoming space for all. Kim Davis, who was named the NHL's Executive Vice President for Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs in late 2017, hears the critics.

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