Ranking the top 5 greatest black NHL players of all-time
To celebrate Juneteenth, let’s take a look at the best five black players in NHL history.
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. Yes, hockey is a predominantly white sport. However, there have been some extremely special black players over the years.
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.
But first, let’s take a deeper look at the pioneer himself, Willie O’Ree. O’Ree overcame a lot of obstacles to become the first black player to play in the NHL. First of all, he overcame his skin color.
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Back in the 1950s, blacks faced discrimination in every step of their lives. Hockey was no different. 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.
Secondly, O’Ree overcame bad eyesight. In 1956, he took an errant puck to the face, which significantly limited the vision in his right eye. O’Ree wouldn’t have been allowed to play in the NHL if he let anyone. Instead, he played through it and didn’t tell anyone. More impressively, O’Ree played well enough that nobody noticed.
Even after his career ended, it took O’Ree until 2018 to finally get into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He serves as an ambassador to hockey and it’s hard to find a better ambassador than Mr. O’Ree. O’Ree has been given many honors, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018 and being inducted into the Order of Canada in 2008.
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.
5. Mike Grier
Mike Grier is a pioneer of sorts. He’s best known as being the first African-American player in NHL history to be trained exclusively in the United States. Grier’s also the first black player to reach 1,000 career NHL games.
He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1993, but in 1995, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers, along with goaltender Curtis Joseph, for two first-round picks. Grier wasn’t considered to be a promising prospect when he was drafted, but he stood out at Boston University and made his NHL debut in October of 1996.
With the Oilers, Grier was primarily a checking-line forward, but he also did some fighting. In 2002, the Oilers traded Grier to the Washington Capitals. Over six seasons in Edmonton, Grier picked up 183 points in 448 games.
In Washington, Grier put up 52 points in 150 games over two seasons. After leaving the Capitals, he signed with the Buffalo Sabres. He also played for the San Jose Sharks before returning to play for the Sabres for two more seasons.
Grier got Selke Trophy votes on five separate occasions. Additionally, he finished eighth in the Calder Trophy race in 1996-97. Though Grier didn’t win any major awards and wasn’t really a star, he was one of the first black players to stick around in the NHL.
4. Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Byfuglien‘s NHL career is more than likely over. His body has taken a lot of punishment over the years and it might be finally catching up to him. If Byfuglien’s career is over, it’s disappointing because “Big Buff” isn’t just one heck of a player, he also has a terrific personality.
Byfuglien got his start with the Chicago Blackhawks as a forward. Known for his size, he was an unstoppable force in front of the net and helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010. Unfortunately, he was due a significant raise and the Blackhawks couldn’t afford to give it to him, so they traded him to the Atlanta Thrashers.
The Thrashers made the bold decision to move him to defense. Right away, Byfuglien was one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL. It took him a little bit to get used to the positioning, but once he did, he was consistently among the best defensemen in the NHL.
Byfuglien has played in three All-Star games (2011, 2015, and 2016). His big hits are regularly a part of highlight reels. Byfuglien’s lethal shot makes him one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL. He’s one of the most prominent black players of all-time, mostly because of his production and his fun-loving personality.
3. P.K. Subban
P.K. Subban is easily one of the most famous black players of all-time. He’s best known for being the first black player to win the Norris Trophy, winning the award in 2013 at the age of 23 years old. Subban has also been a Norris Trophy finalist on two other occasions (2015 and 2018).
Currently, Subban plays for the New Jersey Devils. However, he got his start with the Montreal Canadiens. Subban has always been an impact player, so it shouldn’t be surprising he made an impact right away with the Canadiens. In two regular-season games in 2009-10, he picked up two points.
During the postseason, Subban played over 20 minutes a game for the Canadiens. In 14 playoff games, he picked up eight points, including seven assists. After this, Subban became a full-time NHL player.
He finished sixth in the Calder Trophy race in 2010-11 after posting 38 points in 77 games while averaging over 22 minutes per game. Eventually, Subban got traded to the Nashville Predators during the 2016 offseason. Subban immediately helped the Predators make it to the Stanley Cup Final in his first year in Nashville, picking up 40 points in 66 games during the regular season and 12 points in 22 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Subban has an outstanding charismatic personality and is one of the NHL’s most popular players. It’s easy to see why.
2. Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr is the most famous black goaltender of all-time. He’s also the most prolific. Fuhr is best known for his time with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s. Though Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier got most of the attention, Fuhr’s importance to their dynasty shouldn’t be overlooked. He helped the Oilers win five Stanley Cups and he was the starting goalie for four of them.
Fuhr is also best known for being the first black goaltender to win the Vezina Trophy, as he won the award in 1988. He nearly became the first black player to win the Hart Trophy that same year, as he finished second in the Hart Trophy race. Fuhr is also the first black goaltender and player to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
He is among the NHL’s career leaders in games played by a goalie (868) and wins (403). Fuhr’s the career leader among black goaltenders in both categories. He played 19 seasons in the NHL, with 10 of those seasons coming in Edmonton.
Fuhr also played for the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and Calgary Flames. He’s one of the most decorated black athletes in hockey history, trailing only the guy ahead of him.
1. Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla has the most decorated career of any black hockey player. He spent most of his career with the Calgary Flames, though he also spent some time with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings.
Iginla was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars. He was traded to the Flames in the infamous Joe Nieuwendyk trade. Now, Nieuwendyk is a Hockey Hall of Famer and he did a lot of good things with the Stars, including help them win the Stanley Cup in 1999. However, it’s clear the Flames got the best player in the deal.
He’s the career leader among black players in many categories, including goals, assists, points, and games played. Much like Fuhr, Iginla nearly became the first black player to win the Hart Trophy, but fell just short of Jose Theodore in 2002 despite leading the league in points and goals. He did, however, become the first black player to lead the NHL in points and goals in a single season.
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Iginla’s international career is also quite impressive. He played a huge role in two of the biggest goals in Canadian hockey history. Iginla scored the game-winning goal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, helping Team Canada win their first gold medal in 50 years by scoring two goals against the United States in the gold medal game. In 2010, he assisted on Sidney Crosby’s golden goal.