The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHL) was an all-Black men’s hockey league. Play was known to be fast, physical and innovative. With the influence of the Black Nationalism Movement — and with rising interest in the sport of hockey — the league came to be seen as a potential driving force for the equality of Black Canadians. The CHL was founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1895. It was defunct during and after the First World War, reformed in 1921 and then fell apart during the Depression in the 1930s. LEARN MORE >

The Toronto Arenas’ December 31, 1918 lineup includes the name of a Mohawk defenseman, Paul Jacobs. This may have made Jacobs the first Indigenous player to play in the NHL. While league records show him playing a game in the league’s second season, it’s unclear whether he actually made it onto the ice. LEARN MORE >

Taffy Abel played eight years in the National Hockey League, helping the New York Rangers (1927-28) and the Chicago Black Hawks (1933-34) win the Stanley Cup. LEARN MORE >

Arguably the first Black Canadian hockey star, Herb Carnegie is widely regarded as the best Black player never to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Carnegie played in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly in the Quebec and Ontario Junior A and senior leagues. He was a member of the Black Aces, the first all-Black line in hockey outside the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. LEARN MORE >

At the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp in September 1944, the hockey world briefly focused its attention on Lucknow, Ont., as three brothers put on an amazing exhibition. LEARN MORE >

Fred Sasakamoose played 11 games for the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1953–54 NHL season. After his retirement from competitive hockey in 1961, he dedicated himself to encouraging youth through sports involvement. LEARN MORE >

Defenceman John Hanna, the first person of Middle Eastern descent to play in the NHL, played parts of five NHL seasons with three different clubs in the 1950s and 60s. Beginning in 1958-59, Hanna played nearly three full years with the New York Rangers. LEARN MORE >

In February 1970, Saint Mary’s University coach Bob Boucher did something that no Canadian college hockey team is believed to have done before — put an all-Black forward line on the ice in a game, made up of Bob Dawson, Percy Paris and Darrell Maxwell.  LEARN MORE >

Mike Marson was drafted in the 2nd Round, 19th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft, making him the first Black player to be drafted in an NHL Entry Draft (first introduced in 1963). He became the second Black player to play in the NHL. READ MORE >

Angela James joins the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League in 1980 as a 16-year-old, playing in the league until 1998. Leading her team to numerous league and provincial championships, she was the leading scorer in eight seasons and MVP in six. She played in the first women’s world championship, an unsanctioned tournament in 1987. In 1990, she was selected to join Canada’s National Team at the inaugural IIHF World Women’s Championship, held in Ottawa, where she led the team to the gold medal with a record-setting 11 goals in five games. LEARN MORE >

Grant Fuhr became the first Black player to lift the Stanley Cup when he won the Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1983-84 season. LEARN MORE >

Born in Haiti, he moved to Ste-Foy, Quebec when he was just a few months old. His parents didn’t know anything about hockey, but quickly learned about all the equipment their son would need to play. He turned his passion into an impressive career that saw him play five seasons in the NHL, represent Canada at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary and at the 1996 and 1997 Spengler Cup tournaments. On March 1, 1988, Vilgrain became the first Haitian-born player to play in the NHL when he suited up for the Vancouver Canucks against the Philadephia Flyers. READ MORE >

Robin Bawa, a native of Duncan, BC, was a 5-year veteran and all-star with the Kamloops Blazers in the rough-and-tumble Western Hockey League. Initially undrafted, he was later signed by the Washington Capitals as a free agent in 1987. In 1989, Bawa was called up to the Capitals where played 5 games, making him the first South Asian of Indian descent to play in the NHL. LEARN MORE >

In 1990, Jim Paek became the first Korean-born player to play in the National Hockey League. On May 25, 1991, Paek scored his first-ever NHL goal in Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup-clinching victory of the Final, an 8-0 win over Minnesota in Game 6. With the Penguins’ victory, Paek became the first player of Asian descent to win the Stanley Cup. LEARN MORE >

Paul Kariya was the first player of Asian descent and the first freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award. He notched 25 goals and 75 assists for 100 points in 39 games during his only full season of college hockey, helping the Black Bears to an impressive 42-1-2 record and the 1992-93 NCAA and Hockey East titles. He won the 1992-93 Hockey East scoring title with 15 goals and 48 assists in conference play. LEARN MORE >

Ted Nolan of Garden River First Nation was hired as an assistant coach for the Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League (NHL). After one season with the Whalers, Ted would then go onto to coach the Buffalo Sabres (1995-1997 and 2013-2015) and the NY Islanders (2006-2008). During the Buffalo Sabres season in 1996-1997, which saw them capture 1st in the Northeast Division, Ted was awarded the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. LEARN MORE > 

Vicky Sunohara scored four goals during the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake to help carry Team Canada to the gold medal win… Sunohara made her Olympic debut at Nagano 1998 where women’s ice hockey also debuted as part of the Olympic program. Team Canada and Sunohara took home silver at Nagano 1998. Sunohara would return to the Olympic Games at both Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006 where she and Team Canada took home back-to-back gold medals. Over three Olympic Games, Sunohara appeared in 16 games and recorded 13 points. LEARN MORE >

Grant Fuhr becomes the first Black player and first person of Indigenous descent (Fuhr’s mother was from Enoch Cree Nation) to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Fuhr won five Stanley Cup championships with the Edmonton Oilers. LEARN MORE >

Los Angeles Kings goalie Yutaka Fukufuji became the first Japanese-born player in the NHL when he started the third period against the St. Louis Blues on January 12, 2007. LEARN MORE >

Following an amendment to its by-laws in 2009, the Hockey Hall of Fame opened its doors to women, and inducted Angela James into the Hall in the Player Category in 2010. James became the first Black woman inducted into the Hall. LEARN MORE >

“To represent Canada being the first First Nation is such an honour to me,” said Brigette Lacquette, 25. A member of the Cote First Nation, she played defence for the Olympic team in Pyeongchang. LEARN MORE >

“I’m extremely excited to be in the state of hockey,” Guerin said at his introductory press conference. “This is an incredible opportunity for anybody and I’m very fortunate to be sitting up here.” LEARN MORE >

The Tampa Bay Lightning had three Black players — Mathieu Joseph, Gemel Smith and Daniel Walcott — start on the same forward line in a game against the Florida Panthers. LEARN MORE >

Everett Fitzhugh was hired by the Seattle Kraken, becoming the NHL’s first Black full-time play-by-play announcer. He hopes he inspires and welcomes other hockey fans of color, just as he was inspired watching the Oilers of the 90s. LEARN MORE >

Toronto-born Aisha Visram, unknowingly made a splash when she became the first woman to stand behind the Kings’ bench and the second confirmed to have worked behind an NHL bench. LEARN MORE >

Nazim Kadri won the Cup on June 26, 2022 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche and is believed to be the first member of the Muslim faith to become an NHL champion. LEARN MORE >

The NHL has confirmed that Janda is the first South Asian full-time radio colour commentator in league history. “Being the first colour commentator of South Asian background means a great deal to me. There has been a lot of hard work that has gone into getting this role over the last decade, but I’ve been extremely fortunate to have the love, support, and mentorship from many in my family and community. I’m a strong believer in ‘if you see it, you can be it,’ so my hope is that we continue to see more representation in the sport of hockey and in the NHL.” LEARN MORE >

Commemorative plaque: “Since the establishment of the National Hockey League in 1917, non-white athletes faced racial barriers, preventing them from playing in the league. In the early decades of the NHL, men such as Paul Jacobs, Henry “Elmer” Maracle, Larry Kwong, Fred Sasakamoose, and Willie O’Ree confronted widespread racism and prejudice on and off the ice. These players broke through racial barriers at each stage of their careers, ultimately reaching hockey’s premier league. Representing greater diversity and inclusion in professional hockey, these trailblazers were recognized for both their skill and perseverance, inspiring future generations of players.” LEARN MORE >

On November 11, 2023, Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. senior national hockey team when she took the ice against Canada in a Rivalry Series game. “It’s an honor to be the first Black woman on the national team, but this team’s been around for a long time,” she said before the game. “And not to sound ungrateful, but it would have been nice to have someone that looked like me on that team before me. I’m glad that I’m able to be that someone for another little Black girl out there.” LEARN MORE >