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The history of black players in North American ice hockey has roots dating back to the late 19th century. The first black ice hockey star was Herb Carnegie during the Great Depression. Willie O'Ree broke the NHL's color barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1958. [note 1]
The Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes began in 1895, as an initiative of black Baptist churches in Nova Scotia. [1] The aim was to increase and retain male membership. The league consisted of teams from Halifax, Africville, Hammond's Plains, Dartmouth, Truro, Amherst, and Charlottetown, P.E.I. [1] All games were on an invitational basis with the trophy still residing in a private home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Historically, they were the first league to allow the goaltender to drop to the ice to stop the puck. [2]
Ontario is geographically large, and it was impossible in the early 20th century to organize an all-black league like in Nova Scotia. Some of the early black players in Ontario ice hockey history included Hipple Galloway and Fred Kelly. Galloway played as a member of the Woodstock team in the Central Ontario Hockey Association in 1899. [3] In 1916, Fred (Bud) Kelly of London played for the 118 Battalion team of the Ontario Hockey League. Kelly was scouted by the Toronto St. Pats but was never officially contacted. One of the first all-black teams in Ontario was the Orioles. The team was from St. Catharines and played in the Niagara District Hockey League during the 1930s.[ citation needed ]
Herb Carnegie's career began in 1938 with the Toronto Young Rangers and continued in the early 1940s with the Buffalo Ankerites, a team in a mines league that played in mining towns in northern Ontario and Quebec. While with the Ankerites, Carnegie was part of the Black Aces line. [4] [ better source needed ] The other line members consisted of his brother, Ossie Carnegie, and Manny McIntyre, originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick. They were recognized as much for their talent and skill as their skin color (Herb was at center, Ossie was right wing, McIntyre was the left wing). In the semi-professional Quebec Provincial League, Herb was named most valuable player in 1946, 1947, and 1948. [5]
In 1948, Carnegie was given a tryout with the New York Rangers and offered a contract to play in the Rangers' minor league system. However, he was offered less money than he was earning in the Quebec league and turned down all three offers made by the Rangers organization during his tryout. [6]
The NHL does not keep statistics on the percentages of ethnicities in the league. However, outside sources have collected statistics on the number of black players in the NHL as well as the percentage of white players in the NHL. According to an article by USA Today, 97% of the NHL is white, while the other 3% is made of different ethnicities. [9] Of the 3% of the remaining ethnicities, twenty-six are black. Twenty of the twenty-six black players are from Canada while six are American. [10] In all, the NHL is made up of 47.4% Canadians, 25.4% Americans, 9.0% Swedes, and the rest is made up by Russia, Finland, and a few other nations. [11] Notable players of African American descent include Dustin Byfuglien, who is of Norwegian, African, and Swedish descent; Kyle Okposo, who is of Nigerian descent; and Joel Ward, whose ancestors are from Barbados.
A Sports Illustrated article in 1999 attributed the increase in black NHL players, in part, to significant demographic changes in Canada, the country which supplies the largest share of the league's players: "In 1971 there were only 34,445 blacks in Canada ... 25 years later, after heavy immigration from British Commonwealth nations in the Caribbean, Canada had 573,860 blacks (2% of the population) ...." [12]
In 2019, the NHL designed a Black History Month mobile museum. The mobile museum is a part of the "Hockey is For Everyone" campaign and is aimed to celebrate Black History Month. The mobile museum is also a commemoration of the black players who have played in the NHL. The museum completed an eight-city tour in February, with its final stop being outside the Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C. [13]
The Black Girl Hockey Club was founded in October 2018 by Renee Hess, an assistant director at La Sierra University and Pittsburgh Penguins fan, as an online chat group for black women in ice hockey. Hess previously conducted a study on black women's experiences in the game, the Black Hockey Research Project, noting that many experienced discrimination at games and that there were only three black women playing professional ice hockey in North America at the time. [14] The group quickly grew, and began organising meet-ups at NHL and NWHL games. [15] The first NHL meet-up was held at a Washington Capitals match on December 16, 2018, and was attended by over 40 members, including NWHLer Kelsey Koelzer. [16]
Willie O'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" (and twice met Robinson personally, in O'Ree's own younger years) [17] as the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL). [note 1] He was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an injured player. He made his NHL debut with the Bruins on January 18 of the 1957–58 NHL season, against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black player in league history. O'Ree is still heavily involved with the NHL, in promoting the league's Diversity Program all over North America with amateur youth and adult ice hockey players. [18]
In July 2022, the San Jose Sharks hired Mike Grier as general manager, making him the first black American to serve as general manager. [26] [27]
On April 3, 2001, Jay Sharrers made NHL history as the first black referee to officiate an NHL game. He worked his first game as an NHL ref when the Philadelphia Flyers faced the visiting Florida Panthers. [28]
During the 1958 season, Canadian-born Willie O'Ree became the first player of African descent to join the National Hockey League. Playing a short career of only 45 games, O'Ree faced racism after being recalled from the Canadian minor leagues. While in the minor leagues, O'Ree recalls the racism he faced as predominantly muted. However, as soon as O'Ree entered into the NHL, racist remarks and actions by hostile fans and players appeared. [29] While playing in America, O'Ree recalled one racial incident where Chicago Blackhawks forward Eric Nesterenko yelled racial slurs at O'Ree and butt-ended O'Ree with his stick. The event caused fights to break out between all players of each team and a police escort was required for O'Ree to leave the building safely. [29] O'Ree has stated that racism had not affected him in his playing career. In addition, any racial slurs, according to him, "would go in one ear, and out the other." O'Ree cites his brother as his main inspiration to become the first black player. He found that if the fans were against him playing because of his skin color, he may as well ignore it and focus on what he does best. [9] This motivation led Willie O'Ree to be named the "Jackie Robinson" of ice hockey by the NHL community.
When O'Ree first entered the league as the first ice hockey player of African descent, he received no recognition from the league or the media. The media did not publish any articles that the color line in ice hockey had been broken. Some newspapers who reported about the first game O'Ree played confused O'Ree's first name Willie, as Billy. O'Ree himself noted, "It didn't really dawn on me then," [30] that he had broken the color barrier in professional ice hockey. When Val James first entered the league in 1981, the NHL did not make any recognition of him being the first African American in the NHL. [31]
Nowadays,[ when? ] O'Ree serves as the NHL Diversity Ambassador and aims to raise participation in ice hockey by all races through hosting programs at local ice arenas. These programs include learn-to-skate clinics as well as youth ice hockey development clinics for children of multi-ethnic backgrounds. The main goal of the clinics is to increase the diversity of ice hockey and allow children who are unfamiliar with the sport to have a chance at trying it out. The clinics also address the issue of race within the ice hockey community. O'Ree's personal goals are to communicate that, "Your race can't keep you from succeeding," [30] to the younger children and to share how he overcame the racism he faced during his career.
The first American-born player of African descent in the NHL was Val James. James's short career was spent with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres. James recalls fans taunting him with racial slurs as well as players committing penalties and fights against him because of his skin color. In an interview with James, he states that he could not watch another ice hockey game for ten years due to the events of his NHL career haunting him. [31] Val James found the most intensive racism to be in the United States. During his career with the Buffalo Sabres, Val James recalls beer bottles being thrown at him when entering the arena as well as fans shouting racial slurs at him. [31]
Modern-day racial incidents in the NHL come in many different forms; however, the most prominent are player and spectator interactions. According to an interview with Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly, "As a Black hockey player, he [Smith-Pelly] knew exactly what they meant by, 'Basketball, basketball, basketball!'" [9] In this case, the spectators were taunting Smith-Pelly that he is better suited to play basketball, since the majority of players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are African American. [32] Smith-Pelly states that this incident was "just ignorant people being ignorant." [9]
Many other racist incidents during games have also occurred. During a preseason game, while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers, Wayne Simmonds had a banana thrown at him by a fan. Simmonds' response to this event was very similar to Smith-Pelly's. He believes that a strong example should be set by including a zero-tolerance policy in the NHL. With this policy enacted, any racist remarks or gestures would cause an immediate ejection from the arena and a subsequent ban from attending that organization's games. [9]
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has supported his players' wishes by including the zero-tolerance policy for racism. According to Gary Bettman, "Even if it's only one incident it is one too many." [9] The NHL has taken increasing action in the past few years[ when? ] against racist events, even banning four fans from the United Center and all future Chicago Blackhawks events. Commissioner Gary Bettman has also raised awareness of racist incidents around the league by dedicating the month of February to "Hockey is for Everyone Month". The event starts on February 1, the same date as Black History Month, and has the goal of raising awareness of equality throughout the league. Players tape their sticks with pride tape that represents awareness of equality, respect, and inclusion. In addition, many different programs take place across the nation to include players with disabilities. The event is also promoted through social media with the hashtag HockeyIsForEveryone. [33]
Although the NHL has taken strong actions against racism in the league, players still believe there is a large issue at hand. Most players, including Smith-Pelly and Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers, believe that the NHL has still a long way to go. In their words, race as an issue in the NHL will continue to exist, due to similar incidents occurring in the NHL both sixty years ago and today. O'Ree has a hopeful outlook for the future of ice hockey's diversity. He has stated, "There's more kids of colour playing hockey today than ever before, and more girls." [13] Furthermore, many players are optimistic that the NHL community has gathered around to protect its players from racist incidents. [9]
Angela James played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League, precursor to the National Women's Hockey League and Canadian Women's Hockey League. She represented Canada women's national team internationally. She scored 34 points (22 goals, 12 assists) [40] in 20 games over four women's world championships, [41] including 11 goals in five games in the inaugural World Women's Championship in 1990. [42] In 2008, she, along with Cammi Granato (United States) and Geraldine Heaney (CAN), became the first women to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. [41] James is the daughter of a black father and white mother; she is the only Black Canadian to captain a national team. [43]
These are the top-ten points, goals, and assists scorers in any franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game; * = Active player; Bold = Current team
These are the top-ten points, goals, and assists scorers in NHL history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game; * = Active player
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Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played over 1,500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings between 1996 and 2017. He is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation.
William Eldon O'Ree is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player from Fredericton, New Brunswick. He is widely recognized for being the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing as a winger for the Boston Bruins. His accomplishment of breaking the colour barrier in the NHL has led him to sometimes be referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey," whom he had the chance to meet when he was younger. In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and starting that year the NHL has introduced the annual Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award in his honor.
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) and former goaltending coach for the Arizona Coyotes, who played for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s during which he won the Stanley Cup five times.
Michael James Grier is an American former professional ice hockey winger and current general manager of the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks. Primarily a checking forward, he played 1,060 games over 14 seasons. He was the first African-American NHL player to train exclusively in the United States, and the league's first black general manager.
Anthony Syiid McKegney is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91. He is the first Black player in NHL history to score 40 goals in a season.
The Kitchener Canucks were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1954 to 1956. The team was based in Kitchener, Ontario, and played home games at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Michael Robert Marson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings from 1974 to 1979. He was the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL.
Valmore Curtis James is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 11 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1981 and 1986. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1978 to 1988, was spent in various minor leagues. He was the first African-American to play in the National Hockey League.
Eric Paul Nesterenko was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1951 until 1956 and for the Chicago Black Hawks from 1956 until 1972.
Joel Randal Ward is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks. He is currently an assistant coach with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Buffalo Norsemen played in the old North American Hockey League (NAHL) during the 1975–76 season, playing their home games in North Tonawanda, New York, a suburb of Buffalo 12 miles to the north, at the Tonawanda Sports Center.
The Original Six era of the National Hockey League (NHL) began in 1942 with the demise of the Brooklyn Americans, reducing the league to six teams: Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. This structure remained stable for a quarter century; the era ended in 1967 when the NHL doubled in size adding six expansion teams.
Bernie Saunders is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 games in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons.
The Los Angeles Blades were a minor league hockey team which played in the Western Hockey League from 1961 to 1967.
The National Hockey League (NHL) evolved from a mono-ethnic and primarily Canadian professional athletic league to span North America. The distribution of ethnic groups has been gradually changing since the inception of the NHL. The league consists of a variety of players from varying nationalities and diverse backgrounds. Once known as a league riddled with racism and exclusiveness, the NHL has made some positive steps toward a more diverse and inclusive institution.
Kelsey Koelzer is an American ice hockey defender, currently serving as head coach of the Arcadia University women's ice hockey program, the first black female head coach in NCAA ice hockey history, as well as the Advisor to the Commissioner on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the NWHL. She was drafted 1st overall by the Metropolitan Riveters in the 2016 NWHL Draft, the first black player to be the first overall pick in a professional North American hockey league draft. She played two seasons in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) with the Riveters before joining the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) in 2019.
Everett "Fitz" Fitzhugh is an American sportscaster who is the radio play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League.
John Frederick Utendale was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, ice hockey coach, and college professor. He signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings in 1955, becoming the first Black man to sign a contract with a National Hockey League team. Utendale later became a professor at Western Washington State College as the first Black faculty member of the school's Woodring College of Education.
Stan Maxwell, known as "Chook" Maxwell was a Canadian professional ice hockey player whose professional hockey career spanned from 1959 to 1971. Stan “Chook” Maxwell is documented as one of the earliest Black professional hockey players, first appearing with the Quebec Aces. He frequently played with Willie O'Ree throughout the span of eight years and five different organizations. He also once competed in a professional exhibition game with the Boston Bruins at Boston Garden. In 1980, he was inducted to the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.
Willie O'Ree first met Jackie Robinson when he was just 14 years old...The New Brunswick native was in New York for a trip honoring his youth baseball team and managed to carve out a few minutes to chat with the legend by the dugout during a visit to Ebbets Field. O'Ree made sure to inform Robinson that in addition to his baseball accomplishments, he was also a hockey player...Robinson was a bit surprised, not realizing that any Black kids played hockey. It was an interaction that proved to be a memorable one...Some 13 years later during an NAACP luncheon in Los Angeles, the two once again crossed paths. Following an introduction, Robinson - the first Black player in Major League Baseball history - quickly realized that it was not their first encounter..."'Willie O'Ree - aren't you the young fella I met in Brooklyn?" Robinson asked...It was a moment that O'Ree cherishes to this day - and one he felt important to share during a celebration marking the 60th Anniversary of his breaking the NHL's color barrier.
Wright, a former Boston University player, became the first Black coach of an NCAA hockey team. He guided Buffalo for 12 seasons in two stints from 1970-81 and 1986-87... But Wright is largely unsung in the greater hockey world today. Several college hockey officials and experts cited Kelsey Koelzer as the NCAA's first Black hockey coach
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