Black players in ice hockey

The history of black players in North American ice hockey has roots dating back to the late 19th century. The first black ice hockey star was Herb Carnegie during the Great Depression. Willie O'Ree broke the NHL’s black color barrier with the Boston Bruins.[NB 1]

Coloured Hockey League

The Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes began in 1895, as an initiative of black Baptist churches in Nova Scotia.[1] 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.[1] All games were on an invitational basis with the trophy still residing in a private home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Historically, they were the first league to allow the goaltender to drop to the ice to stop the puck.[2]

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. [3] 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.[4] 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.

WHA

NHL

Willie O'Ree

Willie O'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" due to breaking the black colour barrier in the sport.[NB 1] 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.[7]

Mike Marson

Mike Marson played five seasons in the National Hockey League 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.[8] The two played with the Capitals.

Jay Sharrers

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.[9]

Other

IIHF

Women’s hockey

Angela James played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League, precursor to the National Women's Hockey League and Canadian Women's Hockey League. She represented Team Canada internationally. She scored 34 points (22g, 12a)[16] in 20 games over four women's world championships,[17] including 11 goals in five games in the inaugural IIHF World Women's Championships, held in Ottawa in 1990.[18] 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.[17] James is the daughter of a black father and white mother; she is the only Black Canadian to captain a national hockey team.[19]

Career stats

Franchise career

These are the top-ten point, goal, and assist scorers in any franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game; * = Active player; Bold = Currently Playing

Points
Player GP G A Pts P/G Team
Jarome Iginla* (RW) 1,219 525 570 1,095 .90 Calgary Flames
United States Kyle Okposo* (RW) 529 139 230 369 .70 New York Islanders
Dirk Graham (W) 546 172 191 363 .66 Chicago Blackhawks
P. K. Subban* (D) 434 63 215 278 .64 Montreal Canadiens
Tony McKegney (LW) 363 127 141 268 .74 Buffalo Sabres
Wayne Simmonds* (RW) 365 132 119 251 .69 Philadelphia Flyers
United States Dustin Byfuglien* (D) 337 77 158 235 .70 Winnipeg Jets
Trevor Daley* (D) 756 67 164 231 .31 Dallas Stars
Ray Neufeld (RW) 331 95 131 226 .68 Hartford Whalers
United States Mike Grier (RW) 448 81 102 183 .41 Edmonton Oilers

Goals
Player G G/G Team
Jarome Iginla* (RW) 525 .43 Calgary Flames
Dirk Graham (W) 172 .32 Chicago Blackhawks
United States Kyle Okposo* (RW) 139 .26 New York Islanders
Wayne Simmonds* (RW) 132 .36 Philadelphia Flyers
Tony McKegney (LW) 127 .35 Buffalo Sabres
Ray Neufeld (RW) 95 .29 Hartford Whalers
United States Mike Grier (RW) 81 .18 Edmonton Oilers
United States Dustin Byfuglien* (D) 77 .23 Winnipeg Jets
Evander Kane* (LW) 76 .34 Winnipeg Jets
Tony McKegney (LW) 75 .50 St. Louis Blues

Assists
Player A A/G Team
Jarome Iginla* (RW) 570 .47 Calgary Flames
United States Kyle Okposo* (RW) 230 .43 New York Islanders
P. K. Subban* (D) 215 .50 Montreal Canadiens
Dirk Graham (W) 191 .35 Chicago Blackhawks
Trevor Daley* (D) 164 .22 Dallas Stars
United States Dustin Byfuglien* (D) 158 .47 Winnipeg Jets
Tony McKegney (LW) 141 .39 Buffalo Sabres
Ray Neufeld (RW) 131 .40 Hartford Whalers
Wayne Simmonds* (RW) 119 .33 Philadelphia Flyers
United States Mike Grier (RW) 102 .23 Edmonton Oilers

NHL career

These are the top-ten point, goal, and assist scorers in NHL history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game; * = Active player

Points
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Canada Jarome Iginla* RW 1,474 611 662 1,273 .86
Canada Tony McKegney LW 912 320 319 639 .70
Canada Dirk Graham W 772 219 270 489 .63
Canada Anson Carter RW 674 202 212 414 .61
United States Dustin Byfuglien* D 678 152 245 397 .59
United States Mike Grier RW 1,060 162 221 383 .36
United States Kyle Okposo* RW 529 139 230 369 .70
Canada Ray Neufeld RW 595 157 200 357 .60
Canada Wayne Simmonds* RW 605 171 173 344 .57
Canada Chris Stewart* RW 519 137 147 284 .55

Goals
Player Pos G G/G
Canada Jarome Iginla* RW 611 .41
Canada Tony McKegney LW 320 .35
Canada Dirk Graham W 219 .28
Canada Anson Carter RW 202 .30
Canada Wayne Simmonds* RW 171 .28
United States Mike Grier RW 162 .15
Canada Ray Neufeld RW 157 .26
United States Dustin Byfuglien* D 152 .22
United States Kyle Okposo* RW 139 .26
Canada Chris Stewart* RW 137 .26

Assists
Player Pos A A/G
Canada Jarome Iginla* RW 662 .45
Canada Tony McKegney LW 319 .35
Canada Dirk Graham W 270 .35
United States Dustin Byfuglien* D 245 .36
United States Kyle Okposo* RW 230 .43
United States Mike Grier RW 221 .21
Canada P. K. Subban* D 215 .50
Canada Anson Carter RW 212 .31
Canada Ray Neufeld RW 200 .34
Canada Trevor Daley* D 186 .22

Historic firsts

American born

Others

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 "China Clipper" Larry Kwong broke the NHL's color barrier a decade earlier than Willie O'Ree, on March 13, 1948, playing with the New York Rangers against the Montreal Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.

References

  1. 1 2 Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925
  2. African Nova Scotia Hockey History. Birthplaceofhockey.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  3. African-Canadian Hockey History – Articles – Ontario Black History Society. Blackhistorysociety.ca. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  4. Herb Carnegie. Greatest Hockey Legends.com (2007-01-21). Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  5. 1 2 "Rink Rookie Makes Hockey History". Ebony: 64–68. April 1973.
  6. Tony McKegney
  7. "Willie O'Ree 50th Anniversary Section | NHL.com - NHL Community". NHL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  8. Humble Beginnings: Mike Marson & Bill Riley – Washington Capitals Club History. Capitals.nhl.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  9. Sharrers is first black referee. Cbc.ca (2001-04-04). Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  10. Allen, Kevin. (2008-01-15)He reached the 1000 games mark in 2010-2011 Willie O'Ree still blazing way in NHL 50 years later. Usatoday.Com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  11. Jim Kelley. "First black inductee pleased to be role model". ESPN.com. November 3, 2003. Retrieved on September 10, 2008.
  12. "OLYMPICS: THE PIONEER; A Humble Iginla Raises His Profile". The New York Times. 2002-02-25. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  13. IIHF Top 100 Hockey Stories of All Time, p.61, Szymon Szenberg and Andrew Podnieks, 2008, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55168-358-4
  14. IIHF Top 100 Hockey Stories of All Time, p.145, Szymon Szenberg and Andrew Podnieks, 2008, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55168-358-4
  15. Hockey Canada
  16. "Heaney, James, Granato honoured". Yahoo!. 2008-05-15. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  17. 1 2 "IIHF Hall of Fame adds seven". International Ice Hockey Federation. 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  18. "Two OBHA Hall of Famers Recognized by International Ice Hockey". Ontario Ball Hockey Association. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  19. "Angela James". Ontario Black History Society. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  20. Black Hockey Roots of Nova Scotia. Birthplaceofhockey.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  21. "Weekes is a bold new voice for Hockey Night in Canada". The Hockey News. September 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
  22. The Hockey News, Volume 64, Number 14, January 17, 2011, Publisher: Caroline Andrews, Transcontinental Media
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