On Martin Luther King Jr. Day , let’s take a moment to honor the black hockey pioneers of the NHL.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a holiday held annually to honor one of America’s greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He fought against racial injustice and led the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Though King was tragically assassinated, his legacy lives on. The NHL has seen black hockey pioneers and they deserve to be honored.
You can’t talk about black hockey players without talking about the first black player to play in the NHL, Willie O’Ree. O’Ree was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame in the “builder” category. Though he only played in 45 games, he’s one of the most influential people in hockey history, helping to make the NHL a more diverse league.
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However, there are far more pioneers worth talking about. O’Ree last played in 1961. It took 13 years for there to be a black player drafted. Mike Marson was the first, drafted in the second round by the Washington Capitals in the 1974 draft. Later, the Caps became the first NHL team to have two black players on the same team once Bill Riley joined them.
The 1981-82 season saw two “firsts”. Grant Fuhr, the NHL’s first black goaltender, made his NHL debut for the Edmonton Oilers. He later became the first black player to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, the first to win a major award (the Vezina Trophy), and the first to win a Stanley Cup. Also, defenseman Val James of the Buffalo Sabres became the first African-American to play in the NHL.
Dirk Graham holds two distinctions. He’s perhaps most famous for being the first black Canadian captain in NHL history, captaining the Chicago Blackhawks from 1989 to 1985. Later, Graham became the first black NHL coach.
Jarome Iginla, whose induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is inevitable, became the first black hockey player to win a gold medal in 2002. He’s also the career leader among black players in goals, assists, and points. Iginla is one of the most recognizable and popular minority players of all-time. When he gets into the Hall of Fame, he’ll be the first black skater inducted. Iginla will also hold the unofficial record for longest full name in the Hall of Fame (Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla).
Angela James is perhaps the most famous black female hockey player of all-time. She helped lead Canada to a ton of success from 1987 to 1997, helping them win four World Championships. James is best known as being the first black woman to captain a national team.
Jay Sharrers deserves to be mentioned as well. Though he never played in the NHL, he’s a pioneer, as he was the first black referee. Sharrers made his NHL debut in 2001. He has worked several Stanley Cup Finals and also was a part of the crew that worked the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In 2013, defenseman P.K. Subban made history by becoming the first black player to win the Norris Trophy, handed out annually to the NHL’s top defenseman. To this day, he’s one of the NHL’s brighest stars and greatest ambassadors.
Today’s NHL features a number of black stars. The league has grown a lot, but we still have a long ways to go. As we remember all of the contributions King made, let’s not forget the pioneers of hockey.