The National Hockey League (NHL) evolved from a mono-ethnic and primarily Canadian professional athletic league to span North America. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The distribution of ethnic groups has been gradually changing since the inception of the NHL. [6] 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. [7]
The NHL began its expansion of player nationalities in the 1970s, when players hailed from the United States, Sweden, and Finland. [8] The share of Canadians in the league dropped to 75% by the 1980s and is now slightly less than 50%. [8] In 2011, the NHL was composed of 93% of players who identified as white, with the remaining 7% identifying as varying ethnicities. [9] [ needs update ]
A number of ice hockey leagues for players of African descent formed in Canada as early as the late-19th century. The Coloured Hockey League was an all-black ice hockey league established in 1895. Operating across the Maritime provinces of Canada, the league operated for several decades until 1930.
Although other minor ice hockey leagues saw integration in the early 20th century (including the Quebec Senior Hockey League), the major league NHL did not see its first non-white player until November 16, 1926 with Indigenous Native American Taffy Abel broke the NHL colour barrier that day with the New York Rangers. [10]
On March 13, 1948 Larry Kwong was an Asian playing with the New York Rangers. [11] Born in Vernon, British Columbia, Kwong was a Chinese Canadian of Cantonese descent. [12] In 1953, Fred Sasakamoose was the first Cree NHL player, and the first Canadian indigenous player in the NHL, debuting with the Chicago Black Hawks. On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree became the first Black Canadian to play in the NHL. Playing with the Boston Bruins, he was also the first NHL player of African descent. [13] Val James was the first African American player to play in the NHL. James signed his contract with the Buffalo Sabres in 1982. [14] His stints with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs were short lived and he eventually retired in 1987 due to injury. [14] The number of black NHL players was to 26 by the end of the 20th century and sat at 32 in 2016. [9]
In addition to black and white players, other races and ethnicities represented in the NHL include players of Asian, Latino, and Middle Eastern descent.
= NHL All-Star [15] · | = NHL All-Star [15] and NHL All-Star team · | = Hall of Famers |
These are the top-ten players of Asian descent by career points, goals, and assists. 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
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These are the top-ten players of Asian descent, by career points, goals, and assists, when counting only their production with a specific franchise. 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
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2021) |
Nat. | Name | Birthplace | Pos | Seasons | Teams Played | Ethnicity | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
George Armstrong | Skead, Ontario | RW | 1949–1971 | TOR | Biracial Ojibwe-Canadian | [37] | |
Bryan Trottier | Val Marie, Saskatchewan | C | 1975–1994 | NYI, PIT | Biracial Cree-Canadian | [38] | |
Ted Nolan | Garden River, Ontario | LW | 1981–1986 | DET, PIT | Ojibwe-Canadian | [39] | |
Grant Fuhr | Spruce Grove, Alberta | G | 1981–2000 | EDM, TOR, BUF, LAK, STL, CGY | Biracial Cree and Afro-Canadian | [40] | |
Everett Sanipass | Elsipogtog First Nation, New Brunswick | LW | 1986–1991 | CHI, QUE | Mi'kmaq | [41] | |
Craig Berube | Calahoo, Alberta | LW | 1986–2003 | PHI, TOR, CGY, WSH, NYI | Biracial Cree-Canadian | [42] | |
Theoren Fleury | Oxbow, Saskatchewan | RW | 1988–2003 | CAL, NYR | Métis Canadian | [43] | |
Gino Odjick | Maniwaki, Québec | LW | 1990–2002 | MTL, NYI, VAN, PHI | Biracial Algonquian-Canadian | [44] | |
Blair Atcheynum | Estevan, Saskatchewan | RW | 1992–2001 | OTT, NSH, STL, CHI | Cree descent | [37] | |
Arron Asham | Portage la Prairie, Manitoba | RW | 1998–2014 | MTL, NYI, NJD, PHI, PIT, NYR | Métis Canadian | [37] | |
Jordin Tootoo | Churchill, Manitoba | RW | 2003–2017 | NSH, NJD, DET, CHI | Inuit | [45] | |
René Bourque | Lac La Biche, Alberta | LW | 2005–2017 | MTL, CAL, CLB, CHI | Métis Canadian | [46] | |
Carey Price | Vancouver, British Columbia | G | 2007–present | MTL | Biracial Dakelh-Canadian | [ citation needed ] | |
T. J. Oshie | Mount Vernon, Washington | RW | 2008–present | STL, WSH | Biracial Ojibwe-American | [ citation needed ] | |
Michael Ferland | Swan River, Manitoba | LW | 2014–2020 | CAR, CAL, VAN | Cree descent | [47] | |
Brandon Montour | Ohsweken, Ontario | D | 2016–present | ANA, BUF, FLO | Mohawk descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Henry Maracle | Ayr, Ontario | LW | 1930-31 | New York Rangers | Mohawk descent | [48] | |
Ethan Bear | Regina, Saskatchewan | D | 2018–present | EDM, CAR, VAN | Cree descent | [49] | |
Zach Whitecloud | Brandon, Manitoba | D | 2018–present | VGK | Dakota-Canadian | [ citation needed ] | |
Garrett Pilon | Mineola, New York | C | 2021–present | WSH | Métis American | [ citation needed ] | |
Rich Pilon | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | D | 1989-2002 | NYI, NYR, STL | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Fred Sasakamoose | Debden, Saskatchewan | C | 1954 | CHI | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Reggie Leach | Riverton, Manitoba | RW | 1971-1983 | BOS, CGS, PHI, DET | Ojibwe | [ citation needed ] | |
Jamie Leach | Winnipeg, Manitoba | RW | 1990-1994 | PIT, HAR, FLO | Ojibwe descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Stan Jonathan | Ohsweken, Ontario | LW | 1976-1983 | BOS, PIT | Tuscarora | [ citation needed ] | |
Jonathan Cheechoo | Moose Factory, Ontario | RW | 2003-2010 | SJS, OTT | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Dwight King | Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan | LW | 2011-2017 | LAK, MTL | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Connor Dewar | The Pas, Manitoba | C | 2022-Present | MIN, TOR | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
D.J. King | Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan | C | 2007-2012 | STL, WSH | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Calen Addison | Brandon, Manitoba | D | 2021-Present | MIN | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Travis Hamonic | St. Malo, Manitoba | D | 2011-Present | NYI, CGY, VAN, OTT | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Brady Keeper | Cross Lake, Manitoba | D | 2019-Present | FLO | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Michael McNiven | Winnipeg, Manitoba | G | 2022 | MTL | Métis descent | [ citation needed ] | |
Jim Neilson | Big River, Saskatchewan | D | 1963-1979 | NYR, CGS, CLE | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Ted Hodgson | Hobbema, Alberta | RW | 1967 | BOS | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Harry York | Ponoka, Alberta | C | 1997-2000 | STL, NYR, PIT, VAN | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Scott Daniels | Prince Albert, Saskatchewan | LW | 1993-1999 | HFD, PHI, NJD | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Dale McCourt | Falconbridge, Ontario | C | 1978-1984 | DET, BUF, TOR | Cree | [ citation needed ] | |
Nat. | Name | Birthplace | Pos | Seasons | Teams Played | Ethnicity | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scott Gomez | Anchorage, Alaska | C | 1999–2016 | NJ, NYR, MTL | Colombian Mexican American | [50] | |
Bill Guerin | Worcester, Massachusetts | RW | 1991–2010 | NJD, EDM, BOS, DAL, STL SJ, NYI, PIT | Nicaraguan American | [51] | |
Auston Matthews | San Ramon, California | C | 2016–present | TOR | Half Mexican American | [52] | |
Al Montoya | Chicago, Illinois | G | 2006–2018 | NYI, MTL, FLA, WIN | Cuban American | [53] | |
Matt Nieto | Long Beach, California | LW | 2013–present | COL, SJ | Mexican American | [54] | |
Max Pacioretty | New Canaan, Connecticut | LW | 2008–present | MTL, VGK, CAR | Half Mexican American | [55] | |
Bryce Salvador | Brandon, Manitoba | D | 2001–2015 | STL, NJD | Half Afro-Brazilian Half Ukrainian | ||
Raffi Torres | Toronto, Ontario | LW | 2001–2016 | EDM, SJ, PHO | Half Mexican Canadian Half Peruvian (of Italian, Greek, and Serbian ancestry) | [56] | |
Nat. | Name | Birthplace | Pos | Seasons | Teams Played | Ethnicity | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Justin Abdelkader | Muskegon, Michigan | LW | 2008–2021 | DET | Jordanian-American | [57] | |
Ramzi Abid | Montreal, Québec | LW | 2000–2014 | PHO, PIT, ATL | Lebanese-Canadian | [58] | |
/ | Nick Cicek | Winnipeg, Manitoba | D | 2022–present | SJS | Turkish-Canadian | |
John Hanna | Sydney, Nova Scotia | D | 1958–1968 | NYR, MTL | Lebanese-Canadian | [59] | |
Ed Hatoum | Beirut, Lebanon | RW | 1968–1971 | DET, VAN | Lebanese | [60] | |
Nazem Kadri | London, Ontario | C | 2010–present | TOR, COL, CGY | Lebanese-Canadian | [61] | |
Alain Nasreddine | Montreal, Québec | D | 1995–2010 | NYI, MTL, PIT | Biracial Lebanese-Canadian | [62] | |
Brandon Saad | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | LW | 2011–present | CHI, CBJ, COL, STL | Syrian American | [63] | |
Mika Zibanejad | Huddinge, Sweden | C | 2010–present | OTT, NYR | Biracial Iranian-Finnish | [64] |
The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered to be the top ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, with players from 17 countries as of the 2023–24 season. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) also views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport". The NHL is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
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