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USATSI

The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins put their rivalry aside ahead of Tuesday's exhibition game to take a stand against social injustice, racism and hate. The teams gathered as one on each of their respective blue lines during the American and Canadian anthems, alternating teams as they went down the line.

Both teams tweeted out photos of the moment. The Penguins reflected on the pre-game stance saying, "Two of the fiercest rivals in sports, united in solidarity this afternoon ..."

Philadelphia wrote, "The Flyers and Penguins stand in solidarity that black lives matter."

The NHL announced that in their return they will honor first responders, the Black lives matter movement and other social justice issues in their "#WeSkateFor" initiative. 

Athletes across sports have been vocal about the fight for equality as protests for the cause continue throughout the country.

Teams and leagues have found ways to show solidarity and have made a push toward a more inclusive future in multiple ways. The WNBA players are wearing "Say Her Name" shirts in honor of women of color killed by police brutality while the NBA and WNBA have "Black Lives Matter" written on their court in their respective bubbles.

Tuesday was the first day of exhibition games in the NHL's return to play. Each team will play an exhibition game, with 12 games occurring over the span of three days. 

The Flyers and Penguins kicked off the exhibition schedule and made sure to emphasize that the return is not just a way for fans to see hockey again, but the teams' way to use their platform to make a statement.

The Stanley Cup qualifying round will take place after the exhibition games.