In February, the NHL’s diversity task force leader, Kim Davis, told ESPN the league had fewer than 30 Black players among 954 that appeared in a game. Unlike Jackie Robinson’s MLB debut in 1947, Willie O’Ree’s breaking of the NHL color barrier more than a decade later didn’t seem to have quite the same splash in sports history. It is a sport that presented the world a number of great players of all time including black hockey players. After O’Ree played his final game in 1961, it would take another 13 years before another black player, Mike Marson, made his way onto another NHL roster, but since then, there have been many talented black players to enter the league, including: Anson Carter, Kevin Weeks, Donald Brashear, Georges Laraque, Mike Grier, Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla, and P.K. Top 10 Black Hockey Players of All Time. Dirk Graham: First Black Captain and Selke Winner . He’s still looking to find his scoring touch in the NHL, but he managed to net 24 goals in just 50 games with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, in 2013-14. 2:03 Born in Long Beach, which isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed, Emerson Etem chose not to follow in the family tradition of water sports (his sister is a swimmer and his mother and brother were rowers). "I had a lot growing up and my brother had the big one too last year," … There are many African-American hockey players in the NHL as well as many Black Canadian hockey players of African descent. Born in Stockholm to a Kenyan father, Oduya is unique in that he is one of only two Swedish-born black players in the history of the sport, with the other being fellow Stockholmer Oliver Kylington, who played one game for the Flames last year. He played from 1955 to 1979. Even after his career ended, it took O’Ree until 2018 to finally get into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Now in his third season in the NHL, after scoring 10 points in 69 games last year, Nurse will be looked upon to help turn around the franchise with the help of fellow young stars, like Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaiti. "The NHL today, there's a lot of Black players, and they're playing significant roles, not just cast in a heavyweight role. But first, let’s take a deeper look at the pioneer himself, Willie O’Ree. At the peak of his career with the Calgary Flames, Iggy was the best goal-scorer in the league, with two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies to his name and two 50-goal seasons. Instead, he played through it and didn’t tell anyone. He has touched the lives of tens of thousands of … If you expand out to include players of African descent from Canada, Sweden, Finland, and France, then there are 25 players in the NHL. In honor of Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, let’s take a look at the five best black players in NHL history. Just 92 other black hockey players have followed O'Ree onto NHL teams. 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) as the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL). According to league reports, only 18 black players reached the NHL between 1958 and 1991. He was called professional hockey's Jackie Robinson. Bi-racial Afro-Canadian ice hockey player Grant Fuhr was the first Black hockey player to be inducted into the Hockey … From there he was drafted into the WHL, putting up 107 points in 65 games in his final season before being taken in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. Marie Greyhounds, leading his team to a West Division championship. And the number continues to rise, to where it currently stands today at more than 30. Since the participation of NHL stars in the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, the National Hockey League has made great strides to give credence to their wo African Americans make up less than 1% of all active NHL Players. That compares to 70% of pro football players … His best season came with the Devils in 2009-10 when he collected 22 assists and 29 points, but he has been a steady defender his entire career, playing an important role in the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup championships in 2013 and 2015. In that time, he’s collected 71... 13 Chris Stewart. There are currently 6 African Americans playing in the NHL. Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse is looking to turn his OHL success into NHL success. That is about 3 percent. And the reason isn't as sinister as you may thing it is. He was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an injured player. Unfortunately, his ascent to superstardom will have to wait until he returns from the injured reserve list after suffering a hairline fracture in his foot, but at just 22 years of age, there’s still plenty of time for him to further develop. He recorded his first Gordie Howe hat trick in 2009, and quickly followed it up with another one during a three-point game the following season. And he’s picking up from where he left off last year this season, having already scored 6 points on 3 goals in just 10 games. Unfortunately, he cracked three ribs in the opening game of the 2016-17 season, leaving him out of action indefinitely, and he’s struggled with injuries for much of the last few years. Who knows, he might even end up having the kind of longevity that Jagr has had. Ward is more than aware of the significance of being one of the few black players in the history of the sport, as he recently petitioned to have Willie O’Ree’s number 22 retired throughout the league, just as Jackie Robinson’s number 42 is retired throughout the MLB. Marie Greyhounds, he averaged nearly a point per game his final two seasons. And it’s a good thing, too, because he would go on to make the U.S. National Under-18 Team. While racism certainly played some role in keeping the figure to a minimum, it may have been more a function of the demographic makeup of Canada. He is a past goaltending coach for the Arizona Coyotes. Grant Fuhr: The First Black Hall of Famer. Although he’s gotten off to a slow start this season, even at 39 years of age, Jarome Iginla remains one of the top players in the league, coming off a 22-goal, 47-point season last year with the Colorado Avalanche. Secondly, O’Ree overcame bad eyesight. In that time, he’s collected 71 points in 223 games. In 2011-12, he had his most physical season, fighting 10 times, skating away with five Ws and one draw—not bad for someone who led his team in goals. But his game isn’t scoring; it’s hitting and forechecking. Drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers, Kane would quickly make his presence known by knocking out Matt Cooke in a fight. Subban. Here are top ten great black hockey players of all time: Grant Fuhr . Prominent examples are P.K. Quinton Byfield became the highest drafted Black player in NHL history on Tuesday night when the Los Angeles Kings selected him with the second pick. Chris Stewart can do a bit of everything: score, assist, and fight. Ever since Willie O’Ree first stepped on the ice for the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958, black players have been an important part of the NHL. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Puck Prose and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Perhaps it’s because. Duclair’s sudden surge has come as a bit of a surprise to many around the league. 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. It had never had a black player. Back in the 1950s, blacks faced discrimination in every step of their lives. Every NHL team has had at least two black or biracial players on their rosters. It’s embarrassing it took O’Ree so long to get all of the honors that he has, but he deserves every single one of them. Unfortunately, he hasn’t come close to replicating those numbers in following seasons, due in large part to injuries, but he still remains a threat, both with the stick and the fists. Now with the Jets, Byfuglien was named the 20th best defenseman in the entire league, and the third-best American-born defenseman, by Sportsnet at the start of the season. In 1956, he took an errant puck to the face, which significantly limited the vision in his right eye. More impressively, O’Ree played well enough that nobody noticed. Like Evander Kane, Simmonds uses his hands for more than just scoring. Now the league is recognizing the legacy of its black players with a mobile museum that’s making a stop in Detroit this weekend. Playing in his first full season last year, Coyotes forward Anthony Duclair proved that he is a player to watch, scoring 44 points on 22 goals, thanks in part to the chemistry he developed with teammate and fellow young gun Max Domi, leading fans to label them the “Killer Ds.” As Dhiren Mahiban of Vice Sports put it, “Max Domi and Anthony Duclair are turning heads and front and centre in the thick of the rookie-scoring race.”. This season, just over 2% of … This season, just over 2% of the league's 775 or so players are black. Thanks to the addition of veteran Milan Lucic, the team’s off to a great start, currently sitting atop the Pacific Division. In honor of Juneteenth, which … After being considered one of the top free agents on the market this offseason, he signed with the Buffalo Sabres to a seven-year, $42 million contract, and so far he has rewarded them with a team-best 8 points in 11 games. After a decade in the league, last season 35-year-old Joel Ward was hoping to win his first Stanley Cup, but his San Jose Sharks fell just short, despite his best efforts, scoring 13 points in 24 games in the playoffs. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. Subban’s time in Montreal came to a tumultuous end this summer after a disappointing season, some locker room drama, and a surprising trade to the Predators for Shea Weber, but regardless of what you think of the controversial defenseman, there’s no denying that he’s one of the best in the league. Character issues aside—like asking for a trade from Winnipeg, or posing on social media with stacks of money, or the recent sexual assault allegations—Buffalo forward Evander Kane is one of the most promising young players in the league, even if he is already in his eighth season. SB Nation described the stay-at-home defenseman as a “minute-munching blueliner,” because since 2004-05 he ranks 19th in total ice time, averaging more than 20 minutes per game for the Pittsburgh Penguins last year while registering 28 points. There are currently about 30 black players in the league, up from just 12 five years ago. Born in Long Beach, which isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed, Emerson Etem chose not to follow in the family... 14 Devante Smith-Pelly. Okposo had success right away in the NHL, scoring 18 goals his first season, but he broke out in 2013-14, averaging nearly a point per game with a career-best 27 goals. P.K. History [edit | edit source] After its inception in 1917, there were no African-American players in the NHL throughout the 1970s (marked by a rise in black power movements) and into the early 1980s. 3 of 14. Here are the top 15 current black NHL players. O'Ree is still heavily involved with the NHL, in promoting the league's Diversity Progra… Can we get 10000000 likes? They are top players. And he would go on to score 57 points on 30 goals in his third season. The Greatest Black NHL Players of All Time Jarome Iginla P. K. Subban Evander Kane Ray Emery Georges Laraque Instead, he chose to play on water of the frozen variety. As it stands, he is 16th all time in goals, with over 600, and given that he’s showing very little signs of aging, he could very well end up a few spots higher on the list by the time he’s done. NHL’s first black player became champion for pro hockey to include all races Willie O’Ree played for the Boston Bruins, but his major contribution was as a “builder of the game.” As a junior player with the Sault Ste. Yes, hockey is a predominantly white sport. He’s been described as a “hard-hitter who can score big goals.” For the most part, however, the offensive output has been lacking at the NHL level, but he saw an uptick in points last season, especially after being traded to the New Jersey Devils. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Grant Fuhr was born on September 28, 1962. Anson Carter- Forward (Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets) Hockey Willie O’Ree, the first black hockey player in the NHL, tabbed for Hockey Hall of Fame. However, there have been some extremely special black players over the years. Drafted in the third round by the Rangers, he was quickly traded away, much to the satisfaction of Arizona, who finished in 4th place in the Pacific Division last year. He took home the Norris Trophy for the league’s top defenseman in 2012-13 when he finished with 38 points in 42 games, leading the Habs to a first place finish in the Northeast Conference. Nurse said black players still have to worry about racist jeers and remarks. Simmonds is off to his best start yet this year, with 12 points in 13 games. After a brief stint with the Canucks, scoring 7 goals in 39 games last year, he is now back with his original team, the Ducks, and looking to break into the everyday roster. Now in his second season with the Dallas Stars, defenseman Johnny Oduya has quietly carved out a decent career for himself in the NHL after spending four years in Sweden, with 177 points in 11 seasons while playing for five different teams. 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He played for the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets. O’Ree has been given many honors, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018 and being inducted into the Order of Canada in 2008. You can’t talk about black hockey players without talking about the first black player to play in the NHL, Willie O’Ree . Yes, hockey is a predominantly white sport. Perhaps it’s because Robinson represented just one of many countless black baseball players who were more than capable of competing at the big league level (in fact, some would argue that guys like Josh Gibson were better than most major leaguers), whereas, historically speaking, black hockey players have made up a tiny percentage of the league (although you might be surprised to learn that the difference between the percentage of black baseball players and black hockey players is only about 6.5 points). In 2009-10, however, the scoring far outweighed the fighting, as he picked up 64 points on 28 goals. While the anthem played and Dumba kneeled, Chicago’s Malcolm Subban and Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse, both Black players, placed their hands on his shoulders. However, there have been some extremely special black players over the years. Devante Smith-Pelly is onto his third NHL team in six seasons. He had a career year last season, putting up personal bests in goals (32), points (60, tied with 2013-14), and penalty minutes (147). Drafted in the 8th round, Minnesota native Dustin Byfuglien wasn’t necessarily expected to be a star player in the NHL, but after a breakout season with the Blackhawks in 2010, wherein he played a big role in the team’s Stanley Cup win by scoring 16 points on 11 goals, he broke out in a big way and is now considered one of the league’s top defensemen. David MC is a freelance writer from all over. Subban and his brother Malcolm, Jarome Iginla, Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Okposo, and Seth Jones. He serves as an ambassador to hockey and it’s hard to find a better ambassador than Mr. O’Ree. Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds is the kind of player who seems to get better as he goes along. Since leaving Chicago in 2010, he has put up at least 50 points in four out of six seasons (not including the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season). So far this season with the Minnesota Wild (his second stint with the team), he has 5 points on 2 goals and 19 penalty minutes in 11 games. O’Ree overcame a lot of obstacles to become the first black player to play in the NHL. Things changed in 1958 when Canadian Willie O'Ree played a game for the Boston Bruins. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. Just 92 other black hockey players have followed O'Ree onto NHL teams. In just 18 games, he tallied 13 points on 8 goals, finishing with 14 goals total on the year, double his previous highest, which he accomplished his first year in the league. 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He is a Canadian previous ice hockey goaltender in the NHL. It being Black History Month, we here at HalfGuarded.com feel it is our duty – no, privilege – to shine a spotlight on the many, many exceptional deeds of African-American athletes. After being traded to Columbus midway through the season last year, defenseman Seth Jones saw a significant improvement to his play, registering 20 points in just 41 games with the Blue Jackets. He has written articles on a wide variety of topics, but he specializes in sports, entertainment, and literature. In 1974, Bill Riley became the third black person to play in the National Hockey League. But given a full season, Kane has the potential to be one of the best all-around players in the league. At this rate, the former 4th overall pick from Arlington, Texas, is shaping up to be one of the most promising young defenders in the league, which is why Columbus locked him in to a 6-year, $32.4 million contract this summer. Quinton Byfield, from Newmarket, Ont., has become the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history going to the Los Angeles Kings as the second overall pick. The NHL was the last major U.S. sports league to integrate and still the whitest. (Submitted by … There’s a reason it took until 1958 for the NHL to have a black player and it took until 1974 for the second black player to join the league. First of all, he overcame his skin color. Some notable NHL stars of African-American descent are Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane, and Joel Ward. Willie O'Ree overcame numerous obstacles to become the first Black player in the National Hockey League. The NHL started in 1917. 4 of 14. The NHL has seen black hockey pioneers and they deserve to be honored. In 1971, Canadians made up over 95% of the NHL, and only.02% of all Canadians were black. Willie O’Ree was the first black player in the NHL when he dressed for the Boston Bruins in 1958. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Subban’s electrifying play earned him acclaim throughout much of his seven seasons with the Canadiens, but it also drew the ire of the team’s coaching staff and critics around the league, like Don Cherry, who felt at times that he was “acting like a hot dog.” Still, when he’s not coughing up the puck while trying to skate around the entire opposing team, he is one of the best all-around players in the game, and he should only improve now that he’s out of the eye of the Montreal media. After 10 years in the NHL, never so much as registering double-digits in goals, Dallas defenseman Trevor Daley snuck up on everyone in the league during the 2014-15 season and scored 38 points on 16 goals in just 68 games. His sudden offensive outbreak shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise, however. A cohort of current and former Black players and players of color within the NHL isn’t waiting any longer for the league to act. Willie O'Ree (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images), Willie Eldon O’Ree (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images). Unlike Jackie Robinson’s MLB debut in 1947, Willie O’Ree’s breaking of the NHL color barrier more than a decade later didn’t seem to have quite the same splash in sports history. Call him a late bloomer, because Ward’s best seasons have come within the last few years, scoring at least 19 goals in each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 24 (with 49 points, another career-high) with the Capitals in 2013-14. The NHL and hockey claim to be a global game. Drafted 7th overall by the Oilers, he averaged nearly a point per game while playing shutdown defense his last season with the Sault Ste. Tony McKegney: First Black Star Player in the NHL. The Buffalo Sabres , Edmonton Oilers , and New York Rangers have had 12 black players don their jerseys. Players including Kane, Dumba, Aliu, Kadri and Simmonds … Willie O’Ree became the NHL’s first African-American player in a game back in 1958. After being named the most valuable player on his junior team, Kyle Okposo would go on to have success at the collegiate level with his home state University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, scoring 40 points in 40 games his freshman season, which led to him being drafted 7th overall by the New York Islanders in 2006. Last season, he dropped the gloves five times, coming out on the winning end of his fights 60% of the time, according to hockeyfights.com.