TheColorOfHockey

~ Hockey for Fans and Players of Color

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Monthly Archives: May 2018

Pictures tell hockey’s diversity story in Stanley Cup Final Game One

30 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Devane Smith-Pelly, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Neal Henderson, Pierre -Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Reaves, T.J. Oshie, Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals

The Stanley Cup Final is only a game old but I already have a favorite picture – one that jubilantly tells the story of diversity in hockey.

It’s a shot of Vegas Golden Knights forwards Ryan Reaves and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare joyfully celebrating the top-shelf goal that Reaves scored in the third period Monday night against the Washington Capitals that tied the game at 4. Vegas won the series opener 6-4, a contest in which players of color had front and center roles.

Embed from Getty Images

Reaves and Bellemare were effective pests on the Golden Knights checking line, giving the Capitals fits and putting the puck in the net.

Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who is Ojibwe First Nations/Native American, had an assist on the Capitals’ fourth goal, scored by defenseman John Carlson. And Washington forward Devante-Smith Pelly made the most of his 10:04 minutes of ice time, hitting anything that moved that wore gray, gold and red.

Embed from Getty Images

The Stanley Cup Final isn’t the only thing with neat visuals. Voting is underway for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, with three finalists to choose from.

And, like any good campaign, supporters of Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club founder and Head Coach Neal Henderson, have put up a video to garner votes.

For those who represent inclusion in hockey @SNChrisSimpson @ColorOfHockey @usahockey welcome community hero NEAL HENDERSON from Washington DC on his nomination for the #NHLOreeAward. A truly special man. Please WATCH the video and VOTE here: https://t.co/DAE7UjZs4K pic.twitter.com/8Yqqb7Hn0G

— Steven Hoffner (@Hoffner_Steven) May 29, 2018

At 40 years old, Washington’s Fort Dupont program is the oldest minority youth hockey program in North America.

The other O’Ree award finalists are Debbie Bland, a long-time girls and women’s hockey advocate in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, and Humboldt Broncos Coach Darcy Haugan, who was killed in April when the Saskatchewan junior hockey team’s bus collided with a semi-trailer.

Voting closes at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on June 1. Click here to cast your vote.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Pla

 

 

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Hockey diversity advocates express dismay, disappointment over Vanbiesbrouck hiring

29 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Anson Carter, Detroit Red Wings, John Vanbiesbrouck, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Trevor Daley, USA Hockey

Several supporters of diversity and inclusion in hockey are expressing dismay and disappointment over USA Hockey’s decision to make retired NHL goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck its assistant executive director for hockey operations.

Anson Carter, who played in the National Hockey League for 11 seasons and now analyzes NHL and U.S. college hockey for NBC Sports Network, didn’t mince words about USA Hockey’s selection of Vanbiesbrouck, who called Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley the N-word when he played Canadian major junior hockey 15 years ago.

Former NHLer Anson Carter questions USA Hockey’s hiring of John Vanbiesbrouck.

“I understand people make mistakes and eventually they should be forgiven. However, I find it very hard to believe that USA Hockey couldn’t find anyone else that was a suitable candidate without that kind of baggage who was eligible to hold such an important position,” said Carter, who  also hosts “The MSG Hockey Show” in New York.

“Hockey is moving forward not going backwards.”

John Paris Jr., the first black head coach to win a professional ice hockey championship, wrote on the sports website Boxscore  that “John Vanbiesbrouck should not be branded a die-hard racist” for uttering a racial slur at Daley in 2003.

Daley was captain of the Sault. Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Vanbiesbrouck was coach and general manager of the Ontario Hockey League team at the time.

“However, his nomination by USA Hockey as an assistant director of hockey operations has created some confusion which has multiple ethnic groups questioning the why,” Paris wrote. “Could this be privilege or a poorly handled situation?”

BREAKING: John Vanbiesbrouck accepts top position with USA Hockey #LGLJ https://t.co/NkvOYXZoL1 pic.twitter.com/s2ty09S5tp

— Muskegon Lumberjacks (@MuskegonJacks) May 23, 2018

Lexi LaFleur Brown, wife of forward J.T. Brown, who played for the Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning last season, tweeted “I buy @usahockey membership every year to play. I hope one day our kids will play.”

“But right now I am extremely disappointed,” she wrote in the May 25 tweet. “Does this new hire promote growth and the best experience? Shouldn’t growth include taking steps to assure no one is ever called a racial slur again?”

USA Hockey officials formally introduced Vanbiesbrouck as its new assistant executive director for hockey operations on Friday. He succeeds Jim Johannson, who passed away in January at the age of 53.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley.

Vanbiesbrouck addressed the Daley incident in a teleconference with reporters on Friday, saying “I was absolutely, 100 percent wrong” for using the slur against a then-19-year-old Daley.

“There’s not a lot of days that go by that I don’t feel remorse for that,” he added. “I’m extremely sorry for it. It’s not who I am, it doesn’t define me as a person and I have no prejudices in me, and it will never happen again.”

Vanbiesbrouck and USA Hockey officials said they’re committed to making hockey more diverse and inclusive in the United States.

“I’m proud to say that USA Hockey has a long-standing way forward and a really great slogan… and that is hockey is for everybody and for everyone,” Vanbiesbrouck told reporters Friday. “And we’re going to continue to build on that work and further diversity and inclusion, and I look forward to being a big part of those efforts.”

I buy a @usahockey membership every year to play. I hope one day our kids will play. But right now I am extremely disappointed. Does this new hire promote growth and the best experience? Shouldn’t growth include taking steps to assure no one is ever called a racial slur again?

— Lexi Brown (@lexilafleur) May 26, 2018

15 years ago, he shouldn’t be allowed to be forgiven or move on from that? He made a mistake and paid for it.

— Blake Meakin (@BlakeEMeakin) May 24, 2018

Still, Vanbiesbrouck’s appointment has received heavy criticism on social media. The 20-season NHL veteran has also received support from people who believe in the power of forgiveness and point out that the incident occurred 15 years ago.

Since then, Vanbiesbrouck and Daley have climbed hockey’s ladder. Vanbiesbrouck was general manager of the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL before taking the USA Hockey job.

Daley has developed into a solid NHL defenseman, playing for the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Red Wings. He won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins before signing with the Red Wings last season.

Val James, the NHL’s first U.S.-born black player, thinks it’s fine for John Vanbiesbrouck to hold a high-level position with USA Hockey – if he’s personally apologized to Trevor Daley for calling him the N-word in 2003.

Val James, who became the NHL’s first American-born black player when he joined the Buffalo Sabres in 1981-82 believes that Vanbiesbrouck needs to personally apologize to Daley and his family for the slur – if he hasn’t already –  as he assumes the USA Hockey post.

“I think John should personally apologize to Trevor for calling him that demeaning word,” James told me. “John now being in that position should wipe the slate clean.”

Vanbiesbrouck said he’s “a big fan” of Daley’s but added that their “paths have not crossed” over the years.

“I’m not in a lot of the big buildings where he’s been at the pro level,” Vanbiesbrouck told me. “I’ve been mostly in minor hockey buildings…he’s been far removed from that.”

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Vanbiesbrouck discusses Trevor Daley N-word incident and new USA Hockey job

26 Saturday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Detroit Red Wings, John Vanbiesbrouck, Ontario Hockey League, Sault Ste. MarieGreyhounds, Trevor Daley, USA Hockey

USA Hockey formally introduced its new assistant executive director for hockey operations Friday, former NHL All-Star goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, who wasted little time in addressing the elephant in the room: His use of the N-word against then-19-year-old defenseman Trevor Daley in 2003.

“I wanted to touch on a topic from my past that has resurfaced from my announcing and my hiring,” Vanbiesbrouck told a teleconference of reporters. “And that is an incident that happened 15 years ago when I was coach and general manager at Sault Ste. Marie and it was a racial slur and I was absolutely, 100 percent wrong.

Embed from Getty Images

“There’s not a lot of days that go by that I don’t feel remorse for that,” he added. “I’m extremely sorry for it. It’s not who I am, it doesn’t define me as a person and I have no prejudices in me, and it will never happen again.”

Shortly after that, the hockey writers on the call proceeded ask Vanbiesbrouck questions, some of them deftly avoiding the elephant.

For the most part, the questions ranged from how Vanbiesbrouck views the future of  U.S. hockey to who he’d like to coach the 2019 U.S. world junior championship team after Boston University Head Coach David Quinn – who was tapped to be the American bench boss at the worlds – signed to coach the New York Rangers in 2018-19.

Only one reporter – Craig Custance from The Athletic – directly broached the Daley racial incident, asking USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher how much he looked into the March 2003 incident that led to Vanbiesbrouck quitting as coach and GM of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and prompting  the OHL to level its stiffest penalty ever – a $50,000 fine – against the team.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley.

He asked Kelleher what he learned that made him comfortable enough to give Vanbiesbrouck a job in which he’ll focus on international men’s, women’s and sled hockey and bolster junior hockey within the United States.

“We certainly looked into it, we were aware of the situation, it’s something we had knowledge of,” Kelleher said of the N-word episode. “As John alluded to, it’s something that’s very difficult for him, it’s something he deals with all the time. He looks at it as a terrible situation, an awful mistake, something that’s helped change him for the better.”

Another hockey scribe, Chris Peters from ESPN, did ask what led USA Hockey to choose Vanbiesbrouck over other candidates.

“John’s experience in hockey, his background with us, will allow him to make the most of all the people we have because he really understands our organization and how everyone from volunteers to staff contributes to putting elite teams on ice for our men, the women, and our sled program,” Kelleher said.

Vanbiesbrouck’s hiring has been met with criticism on social media.

15 years ago John Vanbiesbrouck called 19-year-old prospect Trevor Daley the n-word multiple times and used the slur openly while other players were present.

How was there not a better candidate for this position? What kind of message does this send? https://t.co/bQuI9QzTff

— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) May 25, 2018

@usahockey Very confused about the decision to hire John Vanbiesbrouck given his history. How can we promote the game in this country with that kind of cloud hanging over? That language isn't an accident. Please reconsider.

— mattkoz (@mattkoz) May 25, 2018

But the former goalie who played parts of 20 NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils also received words of encouragement online from people who say that 15 years is a long time and people can change.

Congrats to #NYR alum John Vanbiesbrouck! https://t.co/Zv1Jm6Q4CJ

— Rick Nadeau (@RickNadeau) May 23, 2018

It happened 15 years ago, it was disgusting. Can people not change or learn from mistakes? Dear god, get over it.

— Blake Meakin (@BlakeEMeakin) May 25, 2018

I had some questions for Vanbiesbrouck, but I wasn’t called on during the teleconference. I contacted USA Hockey, which put Vanbiesbrouck on the phone with me.

I asked him how he applies the lessons that he learned from the Daley incident to the way he conducts hockey business, and how he’ll apply the lessons to his USA Hockey job. Prior to landing his new post, Vanbiesbrouck served as general manager of the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.

“First of all, I know that I’ve been forgiven and I’m strong in my faith,” Vanbiesbrouck told me. “I apply that every day because there’s a direction that comes from faith that guides you. Some people have an opinion, but I have (leaned) on that faith to know that I am forgiven, and I forgive others. So that’s important to me, and that’s probably the Number One, strongest way that I can tell you about it.”

He also told me that he applies the lessons learned through volunteerism, largely through USA Hockey.  He pointed to giving speeches for Hockey Ministries International and raising funds for the Alan T. Brown Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis.

“People who are disabled are in a minority group,” he said.

I asked Vanbiesbrouck if he’s spoken with Daley in the years since the N-word episode. Both are in Michigan. Vanbiesbrouck is a native of the state and  Daley finished his first season as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

Embed from Getty Images

“Our paths have not crossed,” he told me. “I’m a big fan of Trevor’s – we live on the other side of the state. I’m not in a lot of the big buildings where he’s been at the pro level. I’ve been mostly in minor hockey buildings…he’s been far removed from that.”

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Macon another black hockey head coach: Leo Thomas takes over SPHL’s Mayhem

24 Thursday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Akil Thomas, Graeme Townshend, John Paris, Leo Thomas, Macon Mayhem, Niagara IceDogs, SPHL

Macon makes black hockey head coaches – and hockey history.

The Macon Mayhem introduced Leo Thomas as its new head coach Wednesday, scoring  something of a hat trick in the Middle Georgia city that gave the world Otis Redding, Little Richard and the Allman Brothers Band.

Leo Thomas is new head coach of the Macon Mayhem of the SPHL.

With the appointment, Thomas  becomes the only black head coach in North American professional hockey currently and the first in the 10-team Southern Professional Hockey League.

“I didn’t realize it until (Tuesday),” Thomas told reporters at a news conference Wednesday at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon. “Like, wow, this is a pretty big deal. When I started playing at a young age, I dealt with so much stuff being colored and stuff like that. I can’t even express the joy and happiness I have right now.”

Thomas also has the distinction of being the third black head coach in Macon’s storied hockey history. John Paris Jr.coached the defunct Macon Whoopee of the old Central Hockey League from 1996-97 to 1998-99.

Paris became the first black head coach to win a professional ice hockey championship when he led the Atlanta Knights to an International Hockey League title in 1994.

Graeme Townshend, the National Hockey League’s first Jamaican-born player, succeeded Paris as the Whoopee’s head coach in 1999-2000.Townshend now coaches Jamaica’s Winter Olympics hockey effort and operates a hockey camp in Maine.

Now it’s Thomas’ turn in Macon. He’ll helm a team that finished second in the SPHL last season with a 33-16-7 record. The team lost to the Huntsville Havoc in the second round of the playoffs after winning the league’s President’s Cup in 2016-17.

“I’m just going to bring my style of hockey which is hard-nosed, in-your-face and skill,” Thomas said. “I’m not going to go out there trying to goon it up or anything like that. Just bring all the stuff I’ve learned through the years and bring it to this team and make myself, and everybody that’s helped me, proud.”

Thomas had been a Mayhem assistant coach since the team’s championship season. Before that, the 36-year-old was a high-scoring forward for several  minor league teams, including the Fort Wayne Comets of the ECHL the SPHL’s Mississippi RiverKings, and the IHL’s BloomingtonPrairieThunder.

New Macon Mayhem Head Coach Leo Thomas enjoyed a long and high-scoring minor league hockey career.

A Toronto native, Thomas comes from a hockey family. His nephew, Akil Thomas, a center for the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs, is a potential first-round pick in the 2018 National Hockey League Draft June 22-23 in Dallas, Texas.

Leo Thomas’ older brother, Khalil Thomas, was a career minor-leagurer who played center for the CHL’s Memphis RiverKings and Oklahoma City Blazers, the United Hockey League’s Flint Generals, and the SPHL’s Jacksonville Barracudas.

Hockey runs in new Macon Mayhem Head Coach Leo Thomas’ family. His nephew, Niagara IceDogs forward Akil Thomas, is rated the 15th-best North American skater eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft by NHL Central Scouting. Leo’s brother, Khalil Thomas, enjoyed a lengthy minor league hockey career (Photo/Terry Wilson/OHL Images).

Khalil Thomas and his wife, Akilah, are now part owners of the Oshawa RiverKings of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.

Leo Thomas is part of a small  but growing fraternity of minority hockey coaches who are working their way through the professional, amateur and youth ranks.

Calgary Flames Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard was the only minority NHL coach who worked games from the bench last season. The others were specialty coaches who were in the press box or video room on game days.

Fred Brathwaite  coached the New York Islanders’ goaltenders while Scott Gomez ran the Isles’ power play strategy. Sudarshan Maharaj tutored the Anaheim Ducks’ netminders. Frantz Jean handled the Tampa Bay Lightning’s goaltenders. Nigel Kirwan served as the ‘Bolts  video coach.

On the amateur level, Jason McCrimmon is head coach and part owner of Detroit’s Motor City Hawks of the U.S. Premier Hockey League, a Tier III junior league where players showcase their talents for college or major junior hockey programs.

In April, Duante Abercrombie, an alum of the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone” program, was named head coach of the Washington Little Capitals 16U National Team. That squad has a track record of developing players for junior, college, and professional hockey teams.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

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USA Hockey hiring of Vanbiesbrouck, stirs memories of Daley racial incident

24 Thursday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Detroit Red Wings, John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Trevor Daley, USA Hockey

USA Hockey hired NHL goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck  as its  assistant director for hockey operations Wednesday, prompting outrage from some hockey fans who remember that he called Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley the N-word in 2003.

Pat Kelleher, USA Hockey’s executive director said  in a written statement that “We are beyond thrilled to have John join our staff.”

Hall of Fame goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck has been named assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey → https://t.co/uiSDNc1pjr pic.twitter.com/mBm9ZgSuCu

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 23, 2018

“Through his exceptional playing career, what he has done since retiring and his history with USA Hockey, John is well positioned to lead a very important part of our organization and I know he is excited to get started.”

Vanbiesbrouck, who had been serving as general manager of the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, said on the team’s website that he’s “humbled and honored” about taking a top position at the nation’s hockey governing body.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity USA Hockey has given me and the future of hockey in our country.”

He was hired to succeed Assistant Executive Director Jim Johannson, who passed away on Jan. 21 at the age of 53.

USA Hockey told me that the Daley incident “definitely was a topic of conversation in the interview process.”  An official said that the incident “was a mistake which John acknowledged, apologized for and in the end has been an isolated incident.”

The official said Vanbeisbrouck is “in lock step with USA Hockey’s way forward that hockey is for everyone.”

But many hockey fans blasted Vanbiesbrouck’s hiring on social media.

So did y'all just expect us to pretend he didn't say the racial slur to Trevor Daley? Because if you couldn't tell, no one is doing that.

— Alicia 🇲🇽🇺🇸 (@tankbarzal) May 23, 2018

Great message you're sending to athletes of colour, here. 🙄

— Puck Face (@puckfacepod) May 23, 2018

John Vanbiesbrouck joins USA Hockey in executive role the same day the NFL attempts to stop the silent protests of NFL players. The Beezer is most recently known for dropping the “N” word at a player. Banner day 4 African Americans @C_Layts @robinthe403 https://t.co/s1v6wZf1JD

— Rajiv Mathur (@rajivmathur99) May 23, 2018

But the former goalie known as “Beezer” also had his supporters.

For something that happened 15 years ago that he apologized and resigned for? If you actually knew anything about him you would know that he’s a great person and that he’ll do a fantastic job in his new role and that something said 15 years ago doesn’t define who he is.

— Carly (@carlymarie_14) May 23, 2018

Vanbiesbrouck called Daley the N-word in 2003 in front of teammates when Daley was captain of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Vanbiesbrouck was the team’s coach and general manager.

The incident prompted the Ontario Hockey League to level its harshest fine ever – $50,000 – against the Greyhounds. Vanbiesbrouck resigned from his positions and sold his shares in the team.

“I think there was an understanding on our part that what occurred was damaging to us in terms of a league and what we try to be,” OHL Commissioner David Branch said in 2003. “We had to respond in a strong, clear fashion to make sure everyone understands we do not stand for this and this is not part of our value system.”

Vanbiesbrouck confirmed to The Toronto Star in 2003 that he used the slur against Daley and acknowledged he had used the N-word  “more than once.”

“My comments were inappropriate and out of character, and I deeply regret my actions,” Vanbiesbrouck said in 2003.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley.

The episode prompted Daley to temporarily quit the Greyhounds. He returned to the major junior team, saying “While I am deeply disturbed by the hurtful and careless comments that were directed at me, I am proud and honored to be a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.”

The incident didn’t hinder Daley’s hockey career. The Dallas Stars selected him in the second round of the 2002 NHL Draft – a year before the N-word incident. He’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion who has seen action for the Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Red Wings.

Ironically, the Greyhounds and the OHL found themselves dealing with another racial incident last month after Kitchener Rangers forward Givani Smith, who is black, received a death threat and was subjected to racial slurs via social media following the Rangers 4-3 win against the Soo.

A Michigan native, Vaniesbrouck played  parts of 20 NHL seasons backstopping the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.

Embed from Getty Images

He’s a five-time NHL All-Star who won 374 games, the most by an American-born NHL goaltender. He won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 1986 as a member of the Rangers.

Vanbiesbrouck led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.  He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

 

 

 

 

 

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Heroics by Reaves and Bellemare propel Golden Knights to Stanley Cup Final

20 Sunday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Malcolm Subban, Pierre -Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Reaves, Vegas Golden Knights

Pierre Edouard-Bellemare, Ryan Reaves and Malcolm Subban are cashing in on the chips of fate that took them to Las Vegas.

The three black players are members of the Vegas Golden Knights, the first-year National Hockey League team that’s made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Forward Ryan Reaves thought he’d be helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. He got traded to Vegas instead.

Forwards Reaves and Bellemare played pivotal roles Sunday in the Golden Knights’ series-clinching 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets that put them to the Stanley Cup Final.

Reaves, a Winnipeg native and son of a former Canadian Football League star, scored the game-winning goal, a second-period tip in shot. The man who proclaimed himself the strongest player in the NHL showed soft hands on the goal.

The Golden Knights dispatched the Jets in five games and now await the winner of the Washington Capitals-Tampa Bay Lightning Eastern Conference Final.

Embed from Getty Images

Bellemare, a native of Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, didn’t register a point Sunday. But he made his presence felt by centering a fourth line – that included Reaves – pressured and frustrated Winnipeg’s offensive players.

The playoff contributions by Reaves, Bellemare and regular season heroics by Subban are notable because they, like most of the players on the Golden Knights’ roster, are cast-offs – dispatched to the desert by other NHL teams.

Timing was right

for Ryan Reaves' first goal

as a Golden Knight pic.twitter.com/yMgGsXE3CF

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 20, 2018

Bellemare and Subban probably didn’t envision playing for hockey’s Holy Grail when the 2017-18 season began in October. Reaves thought he’d be competing for the Cup on a different team.

They each took a different path to Vegas.

Bellemare’s was more direct. He’s an original Golden Knight, chosen in last June’s expansion draft – a smorgasbord of  hand-me-down players served up by the NHL’s 30 other teams. He was plucked from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Embed from Getty Images

He quickly established himself as a key part of Golden Knights, earning the assistant captain’s “A” for his jersey.  He tallied 6 goals and 10 assists in 72 regular season games in 2017-18.

Bellemare has no goals and 1 assist in 15 playoff contests. But the beauty of Bellemare is what he does defensively, making the opposition work for offensive opportunities. He also is a top-notch penalty killer.

Subban wasn’t even on the Golden Knights roster – or even in the NHL -when the 2017-18 season started.

Placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins, goalie Malcolm Subban found a home in Vegas.

The younger brother of Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, was tending goal in the minor leagues for the Providence Bruins, the American Hockey League farm team of the Boston Bruins.

Boston, frustrated by Subban’s progress after selecting him in the first round of 2012 NHL draft, placed him on waivers in October 2017. The Golden Knights quickly claimed the athletic, acrobatic goaltender.

Subban played a pivotal role in Vegas’ improbable season, filling in for an injured Marc-Andre Fleury. He earned his first NHL victory against the Bruins, the team that dispatched him. In December, Subban had a 41-save, 4-3 win against Nashville and big brother P.K.

Embed from Getty Images

He finished the regular season with 13-4-2 record in 22 games with a 2.68 goals-against average.

Reaves expected to be chasing the Stanley Cup – for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Reaves, one of the NHL’s most-feared tough guys, was acquired by the Eastern Conference Penguins from the Western Conference St. Louis Blues before the 2017-18 season began.

His mission was to add muscle and on-ice protection for high-scoring forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. But the Pens shipped Reaves back west to Vegas in February for a 2018 fourth-round draft pick.

“Out West, every team seems to have a little bit of physicality to them. I like playing that game,” Reaves told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in February. “I like to play a little heavier.”

He relished the role of the heavy against his hometown Jets. Reaves proclaimed himself the strongest player in the NHL, a title usually associated with Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg’s physically-imposing, offensively-talented defenseman.

Embed from Getty Images

Reaves appeared in 58 regular season games for the Penguins and 21 contests for the Golden Knights. He had 4 goals, 6 assists and 94 penalty minutes between the two teams. His game-winning goal Sunday was his first point in six  playoff games.

Should the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, Bellemare would be the latest black player to have his name engraved on trophy.

His name would join those of goaltenders Grant Fuhr (Edmonton Oilers – 1984, 1985, 1987, 1998, 1990), Eldon “Pokey” Riddick (Oilers – 1990) and Ray Emery (Chicago Blackhawks – 2013), forwards Dustin Byfuglien (Blackhawks -2013) and  Jamal Mayers (Blackhawks-2013), and defensemen Johnny Oduya (Blackhawks-2013, 2015) and Trevor Daley (Penguins – 2016, 2017).

Reaves and Subban are currently ineligible to have their names engraved.  NHL rules state that a player has to appear in at least 41 games with the team playing for the Cup or appear in at least one Stanley Cup Final contest.

Given his game-winning heroics Sunday, Reaves will likely be in the Vegas lineup in the Final against Washington or Tampa Bay.

Subban is a different matter. He didn’t play a minute in the playoffs. He’s not likely to see action in the Final unless Fleury – a leading contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the league’s most valuable post-season player – is injured or is replaced because of a poor performance.

If Subban doesn’t play in the Final, the Golden Knights could petition the league to have his name added to the Cup.

The Blackhawks successfully petitioned to have Mayers name engraved after he appeared in only 19 regular season games and no playoff contests during the team’s 2012-13 Cup-winning season.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A First Nations NHL player bypassed by history is championed by dogged reporter

14 Monday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Fred Sasakamoose, Henry Maracle, Hockey Hall of Fame, New York Rangers

Like any good journalist, Irene Schmidt-Adeney loves to unravel a good mystery.

But Schmidt-Adney, a reporter for the Ayr News, a weekly publication in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, didn’t realize how deep she would have to dig to try to solve the mystery of Henry Elmer “Buddy” Maracle.

Henry Maracle, standing, with the N.Y. Rangers in 1930-31.

She wondered why hockey history hasn’t shown love to Maracle, an Ayr product who appears to have been the first indigenous player in the National Hockey League.

Maracle, a Mohawk from Six Nations, played 11 regular season games and four Stanley Cup Playoffs contests for the New York Rangers in 1930-31. He tallied a goal and 3 assists in his short tenure with the Blue Shirts.

Hockey historians regard Fred Sasakamoose as the first NHL’s first indigenous player with treaty status.  Sasakamoose, a member of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, played 11 games for the Chicago Blackhawks  in 1953-54 without registering a point.

Sasakamoose, 84, was invested in the Order of Canada last week, an honor that recognizes Canadian citizens for outstanding achievement, dedication to community or service to the nation.

Reporter Irene Schmidt-Adeney holds a jersey provided by the New York Rangers with Henry Maracle’s name and number on the back (Photo/Courtesy Irene Schmidt-Adeney/Ayr News).

Sasakamoose is also a member of the Saskatchewan First Nations Sports Hall of Fame. the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, the Prince Albert Hall of Fame and the Canadian Native Hockey Hall of Fame.

“It’s great that he got the Order of Canada, but Maracle should be recognized,” said Schmidt-Adeney, who published her story about Maracle in March after months of exhaustive research. “We’re not going to go out and demand that the Order of Canada come off Fred’s neck. It would just be nice if Henry Maracle was recognized.”

Hockey historians say Fred Sasakamoose became the NHL’s first indigenous player with treaty status when he skated for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1953-54 (Photo/Courtesy Hockey Hall of Fame).

Maracle is starting to get his due, thanks to Schmidt-Adeney’s doggedness. She reached out to the Rangers and obtained two official jerseys, complete with Maracle’s last name and Number 14 on the back.

One of the sweaters will be presented at a ceremony next month to North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton on behalf of the township. Former New York Islanders broadcaster Jiggs McDonald, an Ayr native, and Walter Gretzky, father of Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, plan to attend the event, Schmidt-Adeney said.

Plans are being formulated to present the second Rangers jersey to a representative of Six Nations of Grand River, hopefully to coincide with National Aboriginal Heritage Day on the June 21.

In addition, the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto asked Schmidt-Adeney for her research on Maracle.

She noted in her March 21, 2018 article that the Hall had biographies for Maracle and Sasakamoose in its data base, but only had Sasakamoose described as indigenous.

So who was Henry Elmer “Buddy” Maracle?

He was a 5-foot-11 left wing whose professional career began in 1926-27 with the Springfield Indians of the old Canadian-AmericanHockey League. He spent four season with the Indians before he was traded to the Rangers in 1930-31. His hockey exploits garnered racist headlines like “Indian Puck Star” and “Redskin Icer.”

He ended his professional playing career in 1936-37 after skating for the Indians, Philadelphia Arrows, New Haven Eagles, and Bronx Tigers of the old Canadian-American Hockey League, and the Tulsa Oilers of the American Hockey Association. He briefly served the Oilers’ player/head coach during the 1936-37 season, according to HockeyDB.com.

The hockey statistics site says that Maracle played amateur senior hockey for the Detroit Holzbaugh-Fords of the Michigan-Ontario Hockey League in 1938-39 

Maracle became a U.S. citizen and worked in auto and tire plants in Detroit. He gave up his Mohawk status in 1955, according to Schmidt-Adeney’s research. Three years later, Maracle died from a kidney disorder in 1958 at the age of 53. He was a produce truck driver living in Dallas, Texas,  at that time.

“It’s interesting that it all happened at the same time,” Schmidt-Adeney said of Maracle becoming a U.S. and relinquishing his Mohawk ties. “What happened? Why did he give up his status? I don’t know.”

So how did history bypass Maracle?

Schmidt-Adeney doesn’t think it was a deliberate slight. She surmises that it was, in part, a result of a dark period of Canada’s history when First Nations youth were sent to residential schools – church-run, government-funded institutions that were established to “aggressively assimilate” students to white Canadian culture.

The schools were unpleasant places where abuse – physical, mental, and sexual – occurred. Residential schools first opened in the 19th Century and the last one closed in 1996.

About 150,000 First Nation, Inuit and Metis children were removed from their communities and forced to attend the schools, CBC News reported in 2008.

“People didn’t say they had young children because they didn’t want them taken away,” Schmidt-Adeney told me. “There was that whole issue and there were other issues at that time that Maracle was born that would make him harder to find.”

“It was 100 years ago, we didn’t have the Internet, we didn’t have communication,” she added. “Not only did we not have communication, we had a government that was taking children away. So it’s completely understandable that this information (about Maracle) didn’t come out.”

Also contributing to the mystery of Maracle is the fact that he grew estranged from his family some time after 1939. Schmidt-Adeney said she hopes to learn more from a Maracle descendant who she recently found.

“I reached out to her via email, but no response (yet),” Schmidt-Adeney told me.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

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With taunts hurled at NHL draftee Givani Smith, racism rears its ugly head again

06 Sunday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

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Detroit Red Wings, Givani Smith, Kitchener Rangers, Ontario Hockey League, Sarnia Sting, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Again.

Once again the racist underbelly in hockey has exposed itself – this time in the OntarioHockey League, this time to Kitchener Rangers right wing Givani Smith.

Right wing Givani Smith is a 2016 Detroit Red Wings second round draft pick.

 Smith, 20, received a death threat and was subjected to racial slurs from so-called hockey “fans” via social media following  the Rangers 4-3 overtime win on April 29 against the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds in Game Six of  the OHL Playoffs.

Smith, a 2016 Detroit Red Wings second round draft pick and the younger brother of Dallas Stars center Gemel Smith, flipped a middle finger toward the Greyhounds bench after he assisted on the game-winning goal. Smith’s gesture earned him a Game 7 suspension by the OHL.

He also received something else that no one deserves – racist vitriol.

Some knuckle-dragger  sent a photo of Smith to his Facebook account with the caption “Hockey N*****,”  according to The Waterloo Region Record, which first reportedon the incident.

The venom on social media was bad enough that the Rangers needed a police escort from Sault Ste. Marie Airport to their hotel and to the Greyhound’s’ arena for Game 7. Smith served his suspension in the press box with a security guard posted outside.

Kitchener Rangers right wing Givani Smith apparently endured racially-tinged incidents during the 2017-18 Ontrario Hockey League season and playoffs (Photo/Aaron Bell/OHL Images).

“Before we went up to the Soo there were racial things in his inbox on social media,” Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie told The Record’s Josh Brown. “It was pretty disgusting to see some the stuff that he had to deal with.”

Bad enough that OHL Commissioner David Branch told The Record that “We took the step to provide security over and above what we would normally do for a game.”

“We wanted to make sure Givani was comfortable and certainly hopefully free from any challenge or issue,” Branch added.

But the disturbing part about the episode is apparently Smith had been racially-targeted well before his Game 6 finger gesture.

Following a regular season game against the OHL’s Sarnia Sting in Sarnia, a man poked his head in the tunnel used by the visiting team “and yelled a racial slur down the hall,” McKenzie told the Record.

And apparently there were things said toward Smith during the Rangers semifinal series against the Sting.

As an @OHLHockey Graduate I’m dumbfounded by the Sickening Stories of Racial Abuse out of @OHLHoundPower in the Soo towards @OHLRangers @DetroitRedWings Prospect Givani Smith 😰😡. I remember Ted Nolan putting that Franchise on the map of Excellence,Inclusion,Acceptance…

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) May 5, 2018

Credit to the @OHLRangers for protecting the health and safety of Givani Smith – but the fact they need a Police Escort to help insure that is absolutely SICKENING !! Law Enforcement, @OHLHoundPower, @OHLHockey Commissioner Branch must collectively step forward…

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) May 5, 2018

Everyone needs to be better than this. If you see someone yelling racial slurs, you need to speak up. https://t.co/8RtJpgVwWd

— David Amber (@DavidAmber) May 5, 2018

The Record also reported that the Rangers heard “derogatory comments” from behind their bench in Sault Ste. Marie during their series with the Greyhounds and that “there were allegations that some players may have crossed the line as well.”

No so-called “fans” or players have been punished for actions toward Smith. Branch told The Record that the OHL works “to make sure that everyone respects one another’s diversities whether its race, sex, where a person is born, their sexual orientation or their way of life.”

“We have zero tolerance with language or conduct which evidences a lack or respect or disregard for the differences that exist among our players,” Branch added.

But the league hasn’t  issued a formal statement on what it’s doing regarding the Smith matter. The only notice regarding Smith on the OHL’s website is his Game 7 suspension.

And it’s not like Branch and the OHL haven’t dealt with something like this before. In 2003 then-Greyhounds Coach and General Manager John Vanbiesbrouck called defenseman and team captain Trevor Daley the N-word in front of several players.

The OHL fined the team $50,000 which was, at the time, the stiffest penalty in league history. Vanbiesbrouck, a former goaltender who played in the NHL for 19 years, resigned from the team prior to the fine. He also sold his stake in the Greyhounds.

Ironically Daley now plays for the Red Wings, the team that drafted Smith.

Hockey fans saw Givani Smith flash his middle finger at the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds bench. What they didn't see were the racial slurs, threats and abuse that the Kitchener Rangers winger, who is black, endured before and after the incident. https://t.co/RqFGJXb52J

— WR Record (@WR_Record) May 5, 2018

This was published in the Star in 2001. In 2003 I wrote one with the headline: “Racism rampant in OHL”
Just 2 of many written over the years. So if you’re *shocked* by what happened to Givani Smith you need to pay attention because this shit has been going on for decades. pic.twitter.com/D6lXX5Kwhe

— Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) May 5, 2018

The Smith incident is the latest episode of racial hostility toward hockey players of color at almost every level of the game – from pee wee to the pros.

In March, Mark Connors, a black 12-year-old pee wee goaltender from Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada, was called the N-word  during a game.

The opposing player who used the epithet  received a 45-day suspension and Mark received a groundswell of support from the Nova Scotia government to Chicago Blackhawks forward Anthony Duclair.

Right wing Givani Smith tallied 17 goals and 13 assists in 46 games playing for the OHL’s Kitchener Storm and Guelph Storm (Photo/Aaron Bell/OHL Images).

But Mark’s story also revealed that it wasn’t the first time the boy was racially taunted. His father, Wayne Connors, told the CBC that his son had endured racial slurs while playing hockey for six years.

In February, so-called “fans” racially taunted Washington Capitals forward DevanteSmith-Pelly as he sat in the penalty box  inside Chicago’s United Center during a gameagainst the Blackhawks.

The verbal assailants were removed from the arena and banned from all Blackhawks home games.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

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Stanley Cup dreams deferred, some NHL players seek gold at IIHF championship

03 Thursday May 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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2018 NHL Draft, Akil Thomas, Alec Marinez, Darnell Nurse, K'Andre Miller, NHL Central Scouting, Serron Noel

Their dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup deferred for at least another season, several National Hockey League players are going for the gold overseas, and players of color are no exception.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez are in Denmark hoping to power their countries to a gold medal at the International Ice HockeyFederation World Championship, which begins Friday.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse suits up for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship in Denmark.

Nurse’s Team Canada will face Martinez’s Team USA in an opening round match Friday at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark, at 10:15 a.m. Eastern Time. The NHL Network will televise the May 4-20 tourney in the United States and TSN will carry it in Canada.

Nurse and Martinez became available to play in the 16-country tournament after the Oilers had a disappointing 2017-18 season and didn’t qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Kings got swept in the first round by the surprising expansion Vegas Golden Knights.

They’ll join other NHLers whose teams also either missed the playoffs or suffered early Stanley Cup exits to form world championship tournament squads with way more talent than the U.S. and Canadian teams that skated at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Those teams were stocked with U.S. and Canadian players from North American minor leagues, colleges, European and Russian leagues after the NHL opted not to suspend operations during the Winter Games to allow its players to participate.

So how good are these IIHF teams?

Team Canada is captained by Oilers center Connor McDavid,  he of 41 goals and 67 assists in 82 games.

He’s joined by fellow Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (24 goals, 24 assists, 62 games);  St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn (24 goals, 46 assists, 82 games); New York Islanders center  Mathew Barzal (22 goals, 63 assists, 82 games); Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly (24 goals, 37 assists, 81 games); and, of course, Nurse (6 goals, 20 assists, 82 games).

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez plays for the U.S. at the IIHF World Championship.

Martinez (9 goals, 16 assists, 77 games) is joined on the U.S. team by Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (27 goals, 49 assists, 82 games);  Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau(24 goals, 60 assists, 80 games); New York Rangers left wing Chris Krieder (16 goals, 21 assists, 58 games); Blackhawks right wing  Alex DeBrincat (28 goals, 24 assists, 82 games); and Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson ( 24 goals, 22 assists, 65 games).

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (27 goals, 20 assists, 62 games) is representing Sweden at the worlds. He tallied a goal and an assist in Sweden’s 5-0 rout of Belarus on Friday.

And speaking about international hockey tournaments, congrats to Team USA defenseman K’Andre Miller and Team Canada forwards Serron Noeland Akil Thomas –three potential first-round picks at the 2018 NHL Draft in June – for their play at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship that ended last weekend in Russia.

OHL Niagara IceDogs center Akil Thomas scored a goal at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Russia (Photo/Terry Wilson/OHL Images).

Noel, a right wing for the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals    who’s ranked the 10th-best North American skater eligible for the draft by NHL Central Scouting, had 2 goals and 4 assists in  five games for Canada.

Thomas, a center for the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, tallied a goal and an assist in four games. Thomas is ranked the 15th-best North American skater in the draft by Central Scouting.

Forward Serron Noel of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals scored two goals for Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship (Photo/Terry Wilson/OHL Images).

Miller, ranked as the 23rd-best North American skater available for the June 22-23 draft in Dallas, had a goal and 2 assists for the silver medal-winning U.S. team that lost 3-2 to Finland in the tournament final.

K’Andre Miller helped anchor the defense and chipped in with a goal and 2 assists for the United States at the IIHF U18 World Championship.

Whichever NHL team selects Miller will have to wait for his services. He’s committed to play hockey for the University of Wisconsin Badgers starting this fall.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. And download the Color of Hockey podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud and Google Play.

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