In 1987, John Paris Jr. became the first Black scout in the NHL, for the St. Louis Blues of the NHL, and became the first Black Coach and first Black General Manager in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), initially with the Trois-Rivières Draveurs, followed by the Granby Bisons. In the 1993-94 season, Paris was hired by the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL), the farm team of NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. His move to Atlanta made him the first Black coach in professional hockey. LEARN MORE >