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.
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.