Black history and ice hockey
Encyclopedia
Black history in ice hockey
has roots dating back to the mid 20th century. One of the first black stars of ice hockey was Herb Carnegie
during the Great Depression. Willie O'Ree
would break the NHL’s color barrier with the Boston Bruins.
of the Maritimes began as an initiative of Black Baptists churches in Nova Scotia. 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. All games were on an invitational basis and no trophy was ever used. Historically, they were the first league to allow the goaltender
to drop to the ice to stop the puck.
In 1916, Fred (Bud) Kelly of London played for the 118 Battalion team of the Ontario Hockey League. Apparently, 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.
Herb Carnegie’s hockey 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. 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 colour (Herb was at centre, 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.
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.
of ice hockey" due to breaking the colour barrier in the sport. 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 hockey players.http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25899
for the Washington Capitals
and the Los Angeles Kings
. He was drafted in the 2nd Round, 19th overall by the Washington Capitals
in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft and would become the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL. Mike Marson and Bill Riley (the third black player in the NHL) became the first two black players to play in an NHL game together. The two played with the Washington Capitals.
and Canadian Women's Hockey League
. She represented Team Canada internationally. She scored 34 points (22g, 12a) in 20 games over four women's world championships, including 11 goals in five games in the inaugural IIHF World Women's Championships, held in Ottawa
in 1990. In 2008, she, along with Cammi Granato
(USA) and Geraldine Heaney
(CAN), became the first women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hockey Hall of Fame
. James is the daughter of a black father and white mother; she is the only Black Canadian to captain a national hockey team.
First black player to score on a black goalie in an NHL playoff game. Joel Ward (Nashville) on Ray Emery (Aneheim) on Saturday, 04.23.2011
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
has roots dating back to the mid 20th century. One of the first black stars of ice hockey was Herb Carnegie
Herb Carnegie
Herbert H. Carnegie, CM, O.Ont is a former Canadian ice hockey player. Born in Toronto, Ontario to Jamaican parents, Carnegie was the first African-Canadian hockey player to be offered an opportunity to play in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Carnegie’s hockey career began in 1938 with...
during the Great Depression. Willie O'Ree
Willie O'Ree
Willie Eldon O'Ree, OC, ONB is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League. O'Ree played as a winger for the Boston Bruins...
would break the NHL’s color barrier with the Boston Bruins.
Colored Hockey League
The Coloured Hockey LeagueColoured Hockey League
The Coloured Hockey League was an all-black ice hockey league founded in Nova Scotia in 1894, which featured teams from across Canada's Maritime Provinces. The league operated for several decades lasting until 1930....
of the Maritimes began as an initiative of Black Baptists churches in Nova Scotia. 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. All games were on an invitational basis and no trophy was ever used. Historically, they were the first league to allow the goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
to drop to the ice to stop the puck.
Ontario
Ontario was 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 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.In 1916, Fred (Bud) Kelly of London played for the 118 Battalion team of the Ontario Hockey League. Apparently, 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.
Herb Carnegie’s hockey career began in 1938 with the Toronto Young Rangers
Toronto Young Rangers
The Toronto Young Rangers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from the league's early days until 1948. They played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto...
and continued in the early 1940s with the Buffalo Ankerites, a team in a mines league that played in mining towns in northern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. While with the Ankerites, Carnegie was part of the Black Aces line. 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 colour (Herb was at centre, 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.
In 1948, Carnegie was given a tryout with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
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.
WHA
- Alton WhiteAlton WhiteAlton White is a retired professional Canadian ice hockey player. He played three seasons in the World Hockey Association with the New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks, and the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades...
played for the New York Raiders, Los Angeles SharksLos Angeles SharksThe Los Angeles Sharks were an ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. Their primary home arena was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena but they sometimes played at the Long Beach Sports Arena when the Sports Arena had other contractual obligations...
, Michigan StagsMichigan StagsThe Michigan Stags were a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan that played a portion of the 1974–75 season in the World Hockey Association. On January 18, 1975, the franchise was moved to Baltimore where it was known as the Baltimore Blades. The Stags originated as the Los...
, and Baltimore Blades of the (WHAWorld Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
). White is best known for being the second player of African descent, after Willie O'Ree, to have played on a professional major league ice hockey team In addition, White is the first hockey player of African descent to score 20 goals in a single season. He did this for the Los Angeles Sharks during the 1972–73 season. During the same 72–73 season, he became the first black player in history to score a hat-trickHat-trickA hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a major league professional game. - Tony McKegney was raised by a white family in Sarnia, OntarioSarnia, OntarioSarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
. At age twenty, Tony McKegney signed a contract with the now defunct World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
’s (WHA) team in Birmingham, just to see the owner illegally renege on the deal after fans threatened to boycott the team for having added a black player to its roster. In the NHL, McKegney would go on to score over 300 career goals, including 40 in the 1987–88 season. His total of 78 points in the same season would remain the highest ever recorded by a black player until Jarome IginlaJarome IginlaJarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
broke the record in 2001–02.
NHL
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.Willie O'Ree
O'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie RobinsonJackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
of ice hockey" due to breaking the colour barrier in the sport. He was called up to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
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
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, 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 hockey players.http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25899
Michael Marson
Marson played five seasons in the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He was drafted in the 2nd Round, 19th overall by the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft and would become the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL. Mike Marson and Bill Riley (the third black player in the NHL) became the first two black players to play in an NHL game together. The two played with the Washington Capitals.
Other
- Mike GrierMike GrierMichael James Grier is a retired professional ice hockey winger who most recently played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, and San Jose Sharks...
was born in Detroit, Michigan and made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers. With the 1996–97 season, Grier became the NHL's first African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
player born and trained in the United States. - Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
was the first black goalie in the NHL and the first black player to win the Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. When his career was over, he was the first black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. - Jarome IginlaJarome IginlaJarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
is a five-time NHL All-StarNational Hockey League All-Star GameThe National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
, who is also the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played. At the start of the 2003–04 season, he was named the Flames captainCaptain (ice hockey)In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. This made Iginla the first Black Canadian captain in NHL history. - At the start of the 2006–07 season, SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
player Johnny Oduya, whose father was a Luo from KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, made his NHL debut with the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, becoming the first European-trained player of black African descent to play in the NHL.
IIHF
- On May 11, 2003, Anson Carter scored on Mikael Tellqvist of Sweden to lead Canada to the gold medal at the 2003 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championships.
- In 2008, Angela James became the first black woman inducted in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame. She also scored 11 goals during the 1990 Women’s World Hockey Championships tournament, a record that still stands today. James has won four world championship gold medals, two 3 Nations Cup gold medals and one IIHF Pacific Rim Championship gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Team.
Women’s hockey
Angela James played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League, precursor to the National Women's Hockey LeagueNational Women's Hockey League
The National Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. This League was in service between 1999 and 2007.-History:The NWHL superseded the old Central Ontario Women's Hockey League in 1998-99. After the old COWHL dropped down to three teams in 1997-98, the new league expanded to...
and Canadian Women's Hockey League
Canadian Women's Hockey League
The Canadian Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's ice hockey leagues in Canada. The league was founded in 2007. The league currently has six ice hockey teams: three in Ontario, one in Quebec, one in Alberta and one in Boston, Massachusetts....
. She represented Team Canada internationally. She scored 34 points (22g, 12a) in 20 games over four women's world championships, including 11 goals in five games in the inaugural IIHF World Women's Championships, held in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1990. In 2008, she, along with Cammi Granato
Cammi Granato
Catherine Michelle "Cammi" Granato is a retired American female ice hockey player and one of the first women to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2010....
(USA) and Geraldine Heaney
Geraldine Heaney
Geraldine Heaney is an Irish-Canadian ice hockey head coach and retired defenceman. She is head coach for the University of Waterloo women's hockey team...
(CAN), became the first women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hockey Hall of Fame
IIHF Hall of Fame
The IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which was established by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1997, when 30 individuals were inducted at the world championships in Helsinki...
. James is the daughter of a black father and white mother; she is the only Black Canadian to captain a national hockey team.
Breaking the barrier
| NHL Club | First black player | Season |
| Boston Bruins | Willie O'Ree | 1957–58 NHL season |
| Buffalo Sabres | Tony McKegney | 1978–79 NHL season |
| Edmonton Oilers | Grant Fuhr | 1981–82 NHL season |
| Los Angeles Kings | Mike Marson | 1979–80 NHL season |
| San Jose Sharks | Dale Craigwell | 1991–92 NHL season |
| Washington Capitals | Mike Marson | 1974–75 NHL season |
| Winnipeg Jets | Bill Riley | 1979–80 NHL season |
NHL Draft
| Player | Draft | Team | Round | Pick |
| Grant Fuhr | 1981 NHL Draft | Edmonton Oilers | 1 | 8 |
| Mike Grier | 1993 NHL Draft | St. Louis Blues | 9 | 219 |
| Jarome Iginla | 1995 NHL Draft | Dallas Stars | 1 | 11 |
| Georges Laraque | 1995 NHL Draft | Edmonton Oilers | 2 | 31 |
| Mike Marson | 1974 NHL Draft | Washington Capitals | 2 | 19 |
| Wayne Simmonds | 2007 NHL Draft | Los Angeles Kings | 2 | 61 |
| Kevin Weekes | 1993 NHL Draft | Florida Panthers | 2 | 41 |
| Peter Worrell | 1995 NHL Draft | Florida Panthers | 7 | 166 |
Career stats
| Player | Team | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Jarome Iginla Jarome Iginla Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis... |
Calgary Flames | 1047 | 450 | 488 | 938 |
| Tony McKegney Tony McKegney Anthony Syiid McKegney is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91.-Career:... |
Buffalo Sabres Quebec Nordiques St. Louis Blues Detroit Red Wings |
912 | 320 | 319 | 639 |
| Anson Carter Anson Carter Anson Carter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger of Barbadian descent who last played for HC Lugano in the Swiss Nationalliga A. In the past, he has played for eight different National Hockey League teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver... |
Washington Capitals Boston Bruins Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers Los Angeles Kings |
674 | 202 | 219 | 421 |
| Mike Grier Mike Grier Michael James Grier is a retired professional ice hockey winger who most recently played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, and San Jose Sharks... |
Edmonton Oilers Washington Capitals Buffalo Sabres San Jose Sharks Compton Shankers |
1012 | 159 | 216 | 375 |
| Bill Riley | Washington Capitals Winnipeg Jets |
139 | 31 | 30 | 61 |
| Claude Vilgrain Claude Vilgrain Claude Vilgrain is a retired Haitian-born Canadian ice hockey player. He played in 89 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers. He was raised in Quebec City, Quebec.-External links:... |
New Jersey Devils Philadelphia Flyers |
89 | 21 | 32 | 53 |
| Mike Marson Mike Marson Michael Robert Marson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings.... |
Washington Capitals Los Angeles Kings |
196 | 24 | 24 | 48 |
| Dale Craigwell Dale Craigwell Dale A. Craigwell is a retired professional hockey player who played professionally for 9 years and played parts of 3 years with the San Jose Sharks in the NHL. He played centre and shot left-handed.... |
San Jose Sharks | 98 | 11 | 18 | 29 |
| John Craighead John Craighead John Craighead is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played five games for the Toronto Maple Leafs during 1996–97 season.Some sources claim that he was born in Richmond, Virginia... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Historic firsts
- First black player in an NHL Game: Willie O'Ree
- First black referee in an NHL game: Jay Sharrers, April 3, 2001
- First American born black player in an NHL game: Val JamesVal JamesValmore Edwin James is a retired American professional ice hockey left winger who played 2 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs...
- First black goalie in the NHL: Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
- First black player to win the Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
: Grant Fuhr - First black captain in the NHL: Dirk Graham.
- First black coach in professional hockey: John Paris Jr. of Windsor, Nova Scotia become the first black coach in professional hockey with the Atlanta Knights in 1994
- First black player in the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
: Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
) - First black captain for Canadian national team: Angela James
- First black player to score 20 goals in a single season: Alton White, Los Angeles Sharks, WHA, 1972–73 season
- First time two black players played in the NHL in the same game: Mike Marson and Bill Riley
- First black TV analyst in hockey: Kevin Weekes Weekes provides color commentary for NHL games on the NHL Network and Hockey Night in Canada.
- As of the 2010-11 NHL season, the only African American player agent is Eustace King.
See also
- List of African-American firsts
- List of ice hockey players of black African descent
First black player to score on a black goalie in an NHL playoff game. Joel Ward (Nashville) on Ray Emery (Aneheim) on Saturday, 04.23.2011