Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves, Robin Lehner, Dallas Stars’ Tyler Seguin, Jason Dickinson kneel during anthem

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba helped restart the 2019-20 season by delivering a powerful anti-racism speech, then took a knee during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” 

Dumba was the first NHL player to take part in such a protest, which former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began doing during the 2016 NFL season to raise awareness of police brutality and other racial and social injustices. 

On Monday, four other NHL players – forward Ryan Reaves, who is Black, and goaltender Robin Lehner of the Vegas Golden Knights and forwards Tyler Seguin and Jason Dickinson of the Dallas Stars – joined Dumba in taking a knee during the playing of the U.S. national anthem before the teams’ round-robin game in Edmonton, Alberta.

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Seguin, a former No. 2 overall pick, was seen at a Black Lives Matter rally earlier this summer in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis.  

Dumba did not kneel but raised a fist during the playing of the anthem ahead of the Wild’s game Sunday night. J.T. Brown, then of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was the first to raise his first during the playing of the national anthem. He said he received death threats for the 2017 gesture. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves, Robin Lehner, Dallas Stars’ Tyler Seguin, Jason Dickinson kneel during anthem