Top 5 Most Influential People in the NHL: Kim Davis

Even if you are an avid NHL fan, you may not know the name Kim Davis. In 2017, Davis was appointed to the NHL’s Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs. Previously she worked with Teneo and JPMorgan Chase and worked to support philanthropic efforts throughout the companies. When it was announced that Davis would be joining the NHL, she stated, “The impact of sports on community development can be powerful. Sport can, and does, make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and has the opportunity to drive positive social change. Having had the privilege of advising the NHL on its CSR practices, I've experienced an organization that is truly committed to contributing positively to society and fostering inclusiveness. I'm looking forward to advancing the League's mission and working with Commissioner Bettman and the executive leadership team to help drive the continued growth and success of the NHL."

Since coming to the NHL, Davis has worked to make the sport of hockey a more inclusive one despite the demographics of the players on the ice. With events like the O.B. Boogie in 2019 where the NHL gave street hockey demonstrations and helped children sign up for learn-to-play programs. Davis is actively working to change the conversation and show that the sport of hockey is truly for everyone. While there are still only about 30 Black players in the league, many have commended Davis on her work. Evander Kane has been quoted as saying, “She's awesome. What she's trying to implement in the NHL as far as trying to bring more diversity to the league and create awareness, especially to black hockey players and black youth, it's great. She has her views of where the game is going. And she's not someone that's going to be pushed around. That's what I like about her. She's a very strong woman, and it gives players like myself comfort knowing that she's in the position that she's in.” The relationship between Davis and Kane has grown as they continue to spread awareness of the NHL and take hockey to the communities. But Davis doesn’t want to just stop with Kane, she wants to inspire more players to step up and take an active role as ambassadors.

Davis also is inspired to continually change the Hockey is for Everyone campaign which encompasses initiatives like Black History Month, Spanish Heritage Month, Pride Month, etc. She has made a conscious effort to not just “follow the calendar” so to speak and more of a holistic approach to utilize these campaigns throughout the entirety of the NHL season. As those like P.K. Subban have been vocal about, Davis has also been vocal about the current state of the Black Lives Matter movement and how that ties in to the NHL. In a recent interview with The Hockey News and began hinting at how the NHL would be responding to the protests across the country. Davis is inspired by just how many players have spoken up and utilized their own platform during this time. She also discussed in brief the formation of the Executive Inclusion council which will be comprised of five owners, five presidents and two general managers with the first meeting of the council being scheduled for July. There are subcommittees that will report to the council including the Player Inclusion Committee

(comprised of former and current NHL players and women’s players from the U.S. and Canada), the Fan Inclusion Committee (comprised of CMOs from around the league), the Youth Inclusion Committee (comprised of leaders from USA Hockey and Hockey Canada), as well as a task force that focuses on issues of development for minority coaches and officials.

Kim Davis may not have been a household NHL name before, but now she is someone that everyone should know. Her tenacity has helped to shape the initiatives in the NHL she has started and helps to change the conversation around topics like race. She is respected by players and executives alike and will help to usher in a new and more inclusive era in the NHL.