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Fort Dupont Hockey Club founder Neal Henderson still skating strong at 79

12 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Hockey is for Everyone, Neal Henderson

His deep-voiced bark is still matched by its bite, and the tough love he bestows upon the kids of the nation’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program remains as strong as ever.

Neal Henderson, founder, coach, and father-figure of the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, turned 79 over the weekend.

Through joint surgeries, an ancient ice arena with a sometimes leaky roof, and often with only just enough money to pay the program’s bills, Henderson continues to skate strong –  his passion for the program he created nearly four decades ago unabated by time.

Tough but tender, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club founder Neal Henderson celebrated his 79th birthday over the weekend.

Tough but tender, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club founder Neal Henderson celebrated his 79th birthday over the weekend.

Henderson is responsible for producing a generation of black hockey players and fans in the Nation’s Capital. He’s also helped launch a generation of at-risk kids on the right course in life.

He preaches life through the prism of hockey, teaching the value of teamwork, responsibility, punctuality, good manners, and the necessity and value of staying school.

Fort Dupont developed into a model for programs like the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and similar organizations under the National Hockey League’s “Hockey is for Everyone” umbrella to follow.

“Neal Henderson has been a pioneer in helping develop and shape the lives of young boys and girls and use the core values of hockey to affect other life skills that these children would need as they become adults,” Kenneth Martin, the NHL’s vice president for community affairs told me. “His relentless commitment to children has been a trademark of our ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ program. He has been a true hero and a shining light, not only for the NHL, but for young boys and girls.”

James T. Britt, the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Henderson’s “impact on his community and hockey throughout the United States has been tremendous.”

“His coaching style and communications are direct – when you hear him begin to address a player in his deep voice with ‘Young man…,’ it makes you feel you’d better take notes because something important is being highlighted,” Britt added.

Born in St. Croix, Henderson founded the program in Southeast Washington’s  Anacostia neighborhood in 1977, in large part to teach his son the game that he played while growing up in Canada.

The Fort Dupont club has no fees or dues. The only thing participants have to pay is attention to Henderson rules: maintain good grades, be respectful, and behave.

Embed from Getty Images

 

Henderson has had to beg, borrow – he would never steal – over the years in order to cover the free ice time, equipment, and instruction.

The NHL, members of the U.S. Congress and Washington’s lobbying community  have helped by hosting an annual lawmakers vs. lobbyists charity hockey game, with part of the proceeds going to the Fort Dupont hockey program and rink.

Through the program, Henderson has helped guide his charges to victories on and off the ice. He’s seen alums from his program complete high school and go on to college or serve in the military.

Some, like Donnie Shaw III., have gone on to play hockey in college. Still others, like Daunte Abercrombie, became so hooked on the game through Henderson’s teachings that they’re pursuing professional hockey opportunities.

“Coach Neal is a true living legend and a man with a long list of accomplishments that continue to grow,” said Shaw,  a 2013 NHL/Thurgood Marshall College Fund scholarship recipient who plays for Elmira College in New York. “I cannot thank him enough for all that he has done for me, as well as the devotion that he personally puts into every single kid who joins his hockey program as if they were family.”

Happy 79th,  Coach Neal.

 

 

 

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Fort Dupont hockey club scores in Huffington Post story

22 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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The Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club of Washington, D.C., the nation’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program, is back in the news in an interesting piece in The Huffington Post. Check it out.

Great article about Fort Dupont Hockey and Neal Henderson https://t.co/WybLE88ftf @DCSAASports @allmetsports

— gonzagahockey (@Gonzaga_Hockey1) January 22, 2016

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Washington Capitals’ old boards get new home at D.C.’s Fort Dupont rink

06 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Washington Capitals

When kids get smacked into the boards at Washington, D.C.’s, Fort Dupont Ice Arena in the not-too-distant future, they might smile and say “cool” instead of cry and wince in pain.

That’s because their bodies will have collided with a piece of the National Hockey League, courtesy of the Washington Capitals. The Caps Wednesday donated the dasherboards and glass from the team’s Verizon Center home to Fort Dupont, the only indoor ice skating rink within the District of Columbia.

The Washington Capitals' old dasherboards get loaded onto a trailer at Verizon Center. Final destination: The Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

The Washington Capitals’ old dasherboards get loaded onto a trailer at Verizon Center. Final destination: The Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

“It’s going to be cool for kids to be able to say they were checked into the boards that the Capitals played with or maybe sit in the penalty box where so many great Capitals players or NHL players in general had to spend time,” Fort Dupont General Manager Ty Newberry told me.

The Verizon Center installed new dasherboards and glass this summer ahead of the 2015-16 NHL season and stored the old set in the bowels of the stadium. Those boards were loaded Wednesday into a semi supplied by Bridgestone Americas (an NHL sponsor) and hauled to a warehouse in Pennsylvania.

Newberry said the boards will be installed as part of a $20.4 million makeover of the Southeast Washington skating facility. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2016.

Fort Dupont General Manager Ty Newberry, left, says the boards will be used for second ice sheet being built at the rink.

Fort Dupont General Manager Ty Newberry, left, says the boards will be used for second ice sheet being built at the rink.

The donated boards will help cut some of the expansion’s cost. New boards and glass run between $150,000 and $200,000. NHL-caliber boards and glass run about $250,000, Newberry said.

“It’s a big savings for us,” he added.

The Fort Dupont Ice Arena was built in 1976 and is one of the few indoor rinks in the United States located in a largely African-American community. It’s a stone’s throw from the historic home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and, ironically, not too far from where Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider was born.

The rink is home to the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, the nation’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program. And the rink offers a Kids on Ice  program that provides youngsters with free skating lessons.  The rink, through its programs, serves 7,000 children annually.

The Capitals are actively involved with the Fort Dupont rink, donating $113,000 to its hockey program since 2004.

“We thank the Capitals for donating the boards to the rink and Bridgestone for their assistance,” said Neal Henderson, the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club’s founder and head coach. “It’s a great gesture and the kids are going to be happy to know they’ll be playing with the boards with which the Washington Capitals played.”

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Washington’s Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club featured on PBS NewsHour

17 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Hockey is for Everyone, Neal Henderson

Kudos to the PBS NewsHour for taking time in Thursday evening’s newscast to tell the story of the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, the nation’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program.

Since 1977, program founder Neal Henderson has shown that if you give a kid – no matter what race, ethnicity, or gender – a stick, a puck, some equipment, ice time, and a chance, they can become hockey players.

Henderson is a hockey lifer who teaches life through hockey. He uses the sport to instill teamwork, discipline, perseverance, responsibility and accountability in kids from some of D.C.’s toughest neighborhoods.  He’s a gentle man who preaches tough love, a task master who takes time to make sure his players are alright, both on and off the ice.

Hockey is lucky to have him. And PBS NewsHour was thoughtful enough to show viewers the essence of what he and the Fort Dupont program are all about.

Neal Henderson, far left, and his Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club  hang out with Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (Photo/Patrick McDermott).

Neal Henderson, far left, and his Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club hang out with Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (Photo/Patrick McDermott).

The Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club is part of the National Hockey League’s Hockey is for Everyone initiative which provides support and unique programming to non-profit youth organizations across North America that are committed to offering children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey.

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Alex Ovechkin skates with D.C.’s Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club

25 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Alex Ovechkin, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Washington Capitals

What do players from the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club do when their Washington, D.C., rink is closed for annual maintenance? They go to Ovie’s house.

Alex Ovechkin shows Fort Dupont player how NHL defenders feel (Photo/Patrick McDermott).

Alex Ovechkin shows Fort Dupont player how NHL defenders feel (Photo/Patrick McDermott).

Thirty-five kids from the nation’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program hit the ice with Washington Capitals All-Star left wing Alex Ovechkin at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Virginia Monday for a clinic.

“Can you imagine having the greatest hockey player…come up and play with you?” Neal Henderson, Fort Dupont’s director and founder told USA Today. “Can you imagine what that is. To be able to touch and talk to an idol like him…is unforgettable.”

Thirty-five players from the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club hang with Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (Photo/Patrick McDermott)

Thirty-five players from the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club hang with Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (Photo/Patrick McDermott)

The clinic was sponsored by Beats by Dr. Dre, a product that Ovechkin endorses. Former Capitals players Alan May and Brent Johnson joined Ovechkin on the Kettler ice.

Ovie perhaps waiting for a pass from Caps center Nicklas Backstrom? Watch out, goalie!(Photo/Patrick McDermott).

Ovie perhaps waiting for a pass from Caps center Nicklas Backstrom? Watch out, goalie!(Photo/Patrick McDermott).

“It’s great for the kids, and for me to spend time with the kids,” Ovechkin told USA Today. “Of course (my mind) is not 100 percent off the game or the playoffs, but to do something like that, it’s always nice, it’s always good for everybody.”

 

 

 

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Fort Dupont’s “Kids on Ice” program gets NBC star treatment

23 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Fort Dupont Ice Arena

In life, you crawl before you can walk. In ice hockey, you’ve got to skate before you can play.

For years, the Fort Dupont Ice Arena in Washington, D.C., has helped transform kids from clumsy, crawling novices to confident skaters. Some grow confident enough to take the next step and join the Fort Dupont Cannons, the nation’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program run by longtime Head Coach Neal Henderson.

NBC takes a look at Fort Dupont Ice Arena's Kids on Ice program.

NBC takes a look at Fort Dupont Ice Arena’s Kids on Ice program.

Fort Dupont and its free Learn to Skate program, a magnet for families of all stripes in the District-Maryland-Virginia area, was featured recently in a profile aired during NBC’s telecast of the 2015 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, N.C.

Prudential recently awarded the Kids on Ice $10,000, which will be used to help enhance and expand its synchronized skating program. Part of the funds will be used to send the synchronized team to Hershey, Pa., next month for its first-ever competition.

Fort Dupont skater gives an up-close and personal interview to NBC.

Fort Dupont skater gives an up-close and personal interview to NBC.

From the outside, the Fort Dupont rink doesn’t look like much – a non-descript 1970s-style structure in Southeast Washington. But the rink is one of Washington’s gems. It’s the only indoor skating facility in the District, more often than not has the fastest sheet of ice in he District-Virginia-Maryland area, and offers the most stunning views of Capitol Hill in the city.

Fort Dupont kids go from the  ice to the cameras in NBC feature on the rink's skating program.

Fort Dupont kids go from the ice to the cameras in NBC feature on the rink’s skating program.

One of the few ice rinks in America located in a mostly-minority community, Fort Dupont serves beyond its neighborhood boundaries. Several of the District’s private and Catholic school hockey programs call the rink home, as do several area colleges and universities. Law enforcement hockey teams, from D.C.’s police department to the U.S. Secret Service, have also practiced and played at the rink.

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Hockey Family Photo Album, Page 2

08 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Devante Smith-Pelly, Ice Hockey in Harlem, Isaiah Saville, Tri-City Storm

The pictures and stories of hockey players of color just keep on coming, proving that these folks aren’t unicorns. Minorities in the game are plentiful, visible and here to stay. Here’s Page Two of your Hockey Family Photo Album.

Jazmin Malinowski, a goaltender for McKendree University in Illinois, playing for the United States in March at the 2019 Winter World University Games in Krasnoyarsk, Russia (Photo/Courtesy Erin Malinowski).

“Jazmin declared that she would be a goalie when she was 2 years old, played her first game at 5, plays for McKendree University and is currently at the World University Games on Team USA,” mom Erin Malinowski wrote (Photo/Courtesy Erin Malinowski).

Isiah Saville, left, is a goalie for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. He helped guide Team USA the 2018 World Junior A Challenge championship in Alberta in December. He’s the USHL’s top goaltender and is ranked the eighth-best 2019 draft-eligible North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting (Photo/Courtesy Isaiah Saville).

Players from Detroit’s Clark Park outdoor skating rink and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley, center (Photo/Courtesy Al LaBarrie).

Joel “Chef Jojo” Thomas, left, Donnie “DJ” Shaw, center, and Robert “Dodger” Stuckey at Fort Dupont Ice Arena Marathon Hockey Game fundraiser for the rink (Photo/Courtesy Joel “Chef Jojo” Thomas).

Jackson Kuls, 13, defense, New York City Cyclones. “He learned to play hockey with Ice Hockey in Harlem where he learned about the game and the legacy of black players,” Joycelyn Kuls wrote. “At 5’10’’ 190 lbs, his nickname is Buff after his favorite player, Dustin Byfuglien.”

Chloe Brinson, defense. (Photo/Via Black Girl Hockey Club).

Craiden Jones, 11, Atlanta, Georgia. “Craiden fell in love with the sport after seeing kids playing hockey in the former Atlanta Thrashers practice facility in Duluth Ga.,” dad Craig Jones wrote. “Craiden began taking skating lessons at 6 years old and eventually earned a spot on the Duluth Phoenix All-Star team in his first season in 2015. Craiden’s love and passion for hockey continues to grow and currently plays for the Atlanta Kings travel team.” (Photo/Courtesy Craig Jones).

Russell Jean-Pierre. “Russell is an offensive defensemen who plays for the Ottawa Sting team in Canada,” mom Katie Russell wrote. “His team has had a successful year and currently fighting for the gold title in their league! (Photo/Courtesy Katie Russell).

Elijah Bryan, left, Oliver King and Michael Holland. “They have been hockey ‘brothers’ for years,” mother Michelle King wrote. “Sometimes they play together, sometimes on different teams. Michael and Elijah play high school hockey together at Newton North High School in Newton, Ma. Oliver plays prep school hockey at Worcester Academy in Worcester, Ma. (Photo/Courtesy Michelle King).

Arvin Atwal, defense, Cincinnati Cyclones,ECHL (Photo/Courtesy Cincinnati Cyclones).

Isaac Kaczmarowski. “We live in Wausau, Wis., and Isaac has skated since he was 4,” dad Tim Kaczmarowski wrote. “(He’s) 13 now and this was his first year of bantams. The medal pictures are from this year’s Badger State Games Bantam B tournament where they lost in the championship game after sudden death and a shootout (heartbreaker).” (Photo/Courtesy Tim Kaczmarowski).

This is me and my teammate Tracy Robinson last season pic.twitter.com/WY2I02yUWs

— Trevor Towindo (@2thewindo) March 3, 2019

Ross Mitton, forward for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. He’s committed to play for Northeastern University next season (Photo/Courtesy Ross Mitton).

Grant Thomas Powers, 10, Rochester Youth Hockey Americans (Photo/Courtesy Phillippa Powers).

The NextGEN AAA Foundation team that played in the 2018 Chowder Cup in suburban Boston (Photo/Courtesy Dee Dee Ricks).

 

National Capital Hockey Tournament Director John F. Cotten (right) and Gonzaga College High School goaltender Jalen Greene at the 2018 MAPHL Championship game (Photo/Courtesy John F. Cotten).

Jason Payne, assistant coach,Cincinnati Cyclones,ECHL (Photo/Courtesy Cincinnati Cyclones).

Kyson Yarbrough, 10. (Photo/Courtesy Tracy Ames).

This is my son Willie. He's 10 yrs old and loves hockey! pic.twitter.com/DSTO649L7o

— Jennifer Gona (@jennifer_gona) March 2, 2019

Grayson and Julian Badger share a moment in the penalty box in 2012 (Photo Courtesy Al Badger).

Grayson Badger playing high school hockey last season in Massachusetts (Photo/Courtesy Al Badger).

Derek Arledge, coaching and conferring with referees at a Maryland youth hockey game (Photo/Courtesy Derek Arledge).

pic.twitter.com/zmAgNRC0HH

— Roger Lee (@Roger_Lee35) March 2, 2019

Nigel Wilson-Phillippi, 8. “We live in Maryland, but he plays for the Delaware Patriots White Mite A team in Newark, DE and the Tucker Road Ducks in Prince George’s County, Maryland,” mom Cheri Wilson wrote. “He wore #25 this year for Devante Smith-Pelly, who is now #23 on the Hershey Bears (Photo/Courtesy Cheri Wilson).

Devon Ledford, Baltimore (Photo/Courtesy Devon Ledford).

Love your site! Here’s my 15 y.o…Loves hockey more than anything! Dream is to play in the NHL. Works everyday to make himself better! Ready for the OHL in pursuit of his dream! 💪🏾🔥🏒 pic.twitter.com/inEFSP9470

— Stacy Powell (@StacyPo6734) March 3, 2019

Jaxson Brown, 15 of Charlotte, North Carolina. Bantam AA Carolina Rage. (Photo/Courtesy Eurnestine Brown)

@ColorOfHockey A mother daughter pair of black players. Me and my baby! pic.twitter.com/bDWqMzmd7V

— Cheryl Bascomb (@CherylBascomb) March 2, 2019

The 1995 Can-Am champion Detroit Rockies (Photo/Courtesy Joe Doughrity).

Blake Donovan (Photo/Courtesy Regina Donovan).

pic.twitter.com/fCB7dNXdlh

— Tyson Clinton (@tclints) March 3, 2019

Cameron Murray of Avon Youth Hockey Pee Wee/Squirt In House Team. “Hockey is the sport that accepts all, no matter what,” mom Deb Murray wrote.

#HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/rtEzbdMgtG

— D Garrett (@3yearoldskater) March 3, 2019

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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Hockey’s diversity in pictures from pee wee to the professional leagues

05 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Black Girl Hockey Club, Hockey is for Everyone, Jonathan Diaby, Willie O'Ree

Black History Month showed how far hockey has come in terms of diversity and inclusion and how much further it has to go.

The contributions of black players were chronicled aboard the National Hockey League’s American Legacy Black Hockey History bus, a mobile museum that toured eight cities as part of the league’s Black History Month celebration.

Women of color enjoyed attending games together in New York, Nashville and Brooklyn last month as part of the Black Girl Hockey Club, a sisterhood that keeps growing after each event.

Willie O’Ree continued to be showered with the accolades that he deserves as the NHL’s first black player and the godfather of a generation of minority players and fans through the league’s “Hockey is for Everyone” initiative.

O’Ree, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, was feted at the Canadian Embassy in Washington last month. There, attending members of the U.S. House of Representatives announced that they’re introducing a bill to award O’Ree the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.

But February’s hockey highs shared headlines with a low when some people – let’s not call them fans – racially taunted black forward  Jonathan Diaby, a 2013 Nashville Predators third-round draft pick, and his family at a semi-professional Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey game in Quebec.

Some of the spectators in the arena acted as if they had never seen a hockey player of color before, a sad reaction considering that minorities are part of the game’s past, present and future.

So I asked Color of Hockey readers to send pictures to show just how entrenched we are in the game. And, boy, you responded big time – from pee wee players to pros. Thank you all for sharing your photos, your stories, and your love of the game.

Consider this a Hockey Family Photo Album. There will be a Page 2 with more photos in the coming days. People who sent pictures without information like the names of the people in the shots, please send them again to colorofhockey@gmail.com with the relevant information.

Kendall Day. left. and Dmitri Williams, Columbus Ice Hockey Club (Photo/Courtesy of Deneen Day).

Reilly Love, Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. “I played elite hockey growing in NY. I still play men’s league in the Philly area,” father Julian Love said in an email. “Sometimes I felt like I was the only one of color playing hockey.” (Photo/Courtesy Julian Love).

Hockey is a generational thing in Trazana (Brown) Powell’s family. “So my dad, Carl Brown, 67 YEARS YOUNG. plays hockey twice a week with the Quincy Bald Eagles and a pick up league of older guys,” Powell wrote via email. “Born In Jamaica but when he got to the States he fell in love with hockey!  Taught himself to skate and never stopped.”

Carl Brown getting ready to skate with the Quincy Bald Eagles (Photo/Courtesy Trazana Powell).

“FAST FORWARD to the birth of me!” Powell continued. “My dad put (me) on skates at 1, started hockey at 10, excelled. Played on numerous teams mainly with boys, played in high school (varsity) played at Northeastern University and now Coach! Which I believe is my passion! Even til this day I am known in my town as “that black girl that played hockey”

Trazana (Brown) Powell playing for Northeastern University (Photo/Courtesy Trazana Powell).

“My oldest son, Cameron Powell,age 10, started hockey about 2 years ago
and I’m so proud of his determination and love for the family game,” Powell wrote. “He plays on two teams, The Southeast Cyclones and with Score Boston Hockey. Last year he had the opportunity to meet Willie O’Ree and its a day he still talks about today.”

Cameron Powell (Photo/Courtesy Trazana Powell).

Twins Cree and Chloe Powell, 5. Cree plays hockey. Chloe “hasn’t gotten the hockey bug yet but stay tuned!!!” her mother said (Photo/Courtesy Trazana Powell).

Desmond Allman “is all hockey, all the time,” dad Marc Allman wrote. “It’s not easy being a black hockey player in a mostly white sport (with white parents on top of that), but Des thrives. He got his first N word thrown his way in a tournament a few weeks ago, but he continues to march on” (Photo/Courtesy Marc Allman).

Kevin Horton, left, and his buddy, Brad. “We do that hockey,” Horton said in an email. Photo/Courtesy Kevin Horton).

Adrien Bray sent a photo “From my first year of beer league (The Beerwings of Detroit,MI),” she wrote. “We won our first tournament… I was the only woman and my friend and I were the only black folk. ” (Photo/Courtesy Adrien Bray).

Adrien Bray and her Beerwings teammates (Photo.Courtesy Adrien Bray).

Washington Blind Hockey Club player Tyrese Springer. He is visually impaired due to albinism. (Photo/Courtesy Washington Blind Hockey Club).

Washington Blind Hockey Club player Tyrese Springer in action (Photo/Courtesy Washington Blind Hockey Club).

Courtney Szto plays for the Hatchicks in Vancouver (Photo/Courtesy Courtney Szto).

Mark Fraser, a former NHL defenseman who’s now playing for HKM Zvolen in Slovakia, sent this via Twitter:

15yrs ago I met my hero & he couldn’t have treated me better. 6yrs later I played my 1stgame against him & afterwards he went above & beyond how he treated me the 1st time we met. Congrats Iggy. You’ve inspired minority kids like me on the ice & thousands of people off the ice. pic.twitter.com/dZT4lcG5NI

— Mark Fraser (@TheRealShug_) March 2, 2019

Roman Ephron, 8, of Houston Texas. He began hockey through the Dallas Stars’ Learn to Play program in 2015. “He began skating in 2014 and fell in love with ice skating,” mother Bea Ephron wrote “There is no place he’d rather be.” (Photo/Courtesy Bea Ephron).

Donna Zephrine, Long Island Rough Riders sled hockey (Photo/Courtesy Donna Zephrine).

Leah Frazier from Odenton, Maryland. “The tutu is for Halloween,” she wrote. (Photo/Courtesy Leah Frazier).

Nathan King, goaltender, St. Mary’s Catholic Central High School in Ohio. I” was born in Accra, Ghana my family moved to the United States when I was 3 and I started skating at around 7,” he wrote. “I’m 17 now and have been playing goalie ever since I started.” (Photo/Courtesy Nathan King).

Max Nguyen of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Mom Lydia Nguyen said Max is “1/2 Vietnamese 1/4 Japanese” and is one of 8 players of color on his team (Photo/Courtesy Lydia Nguyen).

Nate Mitton, forward, for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. “I grew up outside of Toronto, my mom moved to Canada from Jamaica with my grandmother,” Mitton wrote. “My dad put me and my brother in hockey and it’s been my passion ever since. I am very proud to be a black hockey player I remember when I was little my dad got me a Willie O’Ree collectors hockey card. My dream is to inspire other kids to chase their dreams.” (Photo/Courtesy Nate Mitton/Tony Bailey Photography).

Rachel Woods and Erica Melcher (Photo/Courtesy Rachel Woods).

Erica Melcher getting down to business on the ice (Photo/Courtesy Erica Melcher).

pic.twitter.com/M1TH7npj1H

— Evan F Moore (@evanFmoore) March 2, 2019

From a little boy in New York to a grown man living in Amsterdam, hockey has always been a part of Ted Iglesias’s life.

A young Theodore Iglesias (Photo/Courtesy Theodore Iglesias).

“I am bi-racial, from Curaçao and southern Spain,” Iglesias wrote. “I am 49 and have been playing and skating since age 4. I am originally from the NY metro area and played in junior boarding school, prep school and college. I now coach skills here in Amsterdam with the Amsterdam Tigers organization.” (Photo/Courtesy Theodore Iglesias).

Isaiah Marquez-Greene and Arthur Smith. “There was a 2017 summer hockey tournament in Foxboro, Ma. Isaiah’s team was coming off the ice and Arthur’s summer team was about to play,” Alex Smith wrote. “The kids’ parents knew each other through goalie camps but had no idea they’d be on the same team a season later.” (Photo/Courtesy Alex Smith).

Isaiah Artis, 15, Lehigh Valley Phantoms Youth Hockey Organization. “He agreed to try hockey at the urging of our neighbors/friends we
used to go watch play,” proud mom Eunice Ofori Artis wrote. “He eventually went to “Try Hockey for Free Day”, and he was hooked.” (Photo/Courtesy Eunice Ofori Artis).

Rayla Wilkes, 6, serving as honorary captain for the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League (Photo/Courtesy Amanda Wilkes).

Calvin Conway, Wasington, D.C., area. “He eats, sleeps and breathes hockey!” mother Joy Conway wrote. (Photo/Courtesy Joy Conway).

Zander Shank, 8, of Ohio “He has been obsessed with hockey since he was 3 years old!” mom Stephanie Mohr Shank wrote. ” We don’t really know where it comes from other than watching the Pittsburgh Penguins on TV. He LOVES hockey. Loves, loves, loves it.” (Photo/Courtesy Stephanie Mohr Shank.)

Eli Shank, 11, was inspired to play hockey by his younger brother, Zander (Photo/Courtesy Stephanie Mohr Shank).

pic.twitter.com/w9nU9CrCzs

— Jonathan Thornton (@JThorts) March 3, 2019

Tarasai Karega, far right, with NCAA Division III hockey championship Trophy she won with Amherst College in 2009 (Photo/Courtesy Tarasai Karega).

Ayodele Adeniye, Carleton Place Canadians, a Junior A team in the Central Canada Hockey League. Adeniye is committed to play hockey for the University of Alabama-Huntsville in 2020 (Photo/Courtesy Ayodele Adeniye).

My PeeWee and Atom boys! And a @EdmontonOilers fav George Laroque. pic.twitter.com/Xs4LYmE1K6

— Natasha Adeniken (@TiggyQueen) March 2, 2019

Meet the Lowry brothers.

Jake Lowry. “They are half African -American and half Indian. We live in Summit NJ,” their mother, Camellia, wrote. “Jake Lowry #17 played Bantam Minor AAA for NJ Titans this past season. He also played for Summit Middle School. He’s been playing travel hockey since 1st grade and is now in 8th grade (Photo/Courtesy Camellia Redmerski)”

“Jordan Lowry #18 played Bantam Major AAA for NJ Titans this last season,” his mother wrote. “He also is on the Varsity and JV roster for Summit High School and is a freshman. He’s been playing travel hockey since 2nd grade (Photo/Camellia Redmerski).”

Rivington D. Jones (Photo/Courtesy R. Douglas Jones).

The Fort Dupont Cannons of Washington, D.C., 2018 (Photo/Courtesy AJ Messier/Hogtown Studios).

Maryland’s Tucker Road Ducks, 2017 (Photo/Courtesy Tucker Road Ducks).

The Tucker Road Ducks and the Banners of Baltimore, Maryland, 2019.

Ice Hockey in Harlem, 2016 (Photo/Courtesy Ice Hockey in Harlem).

Inner City Education program of Chicago. “We provide the children with equipment, coaching, practice twice a week, tutoring every time they come to practice and the opportunity to earn scholarships!” Coach Mark Giarelli wrote (Photo/Courtesy Mark Giarelli).

Brandon Romany of the Kitchener Dutchman (Photo/Courtesy Brian Romany).

Brandon’s father, power skating instructor Brian Romany laces up the skates (Photo/Courtesy Brian Romany).

Peyton Francis, right), who’ll play hockey for the University of Alabama-Huntsville next season, is a Carleton Place Canadians forward who also skates for the Jamaican national team initiative (Photo/Courtesy Mark Francis).

Isaiah Nokken, 12, of Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. Isaiah was born in Ethiopia and got involved in hockey through his cousins. “His grandfather was a high school hockey coach so has been around a lot of hockey watching and playing,” mom Kari Nokken wrote (Photo/Courtesy Kari Nokken).

Stay tuned for Page 2 of the Hockey Family Photo Album.

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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‘Chef Jojo,’ Willie, and the bobblehead hang out at a D.C. hockey charity game

08 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Anaheim Ducks, Congressional Hockey Challenge, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, Paul Kariya, Willie O'Ree

Sometimes pictures say it all, but we’ll take a few words anyway.

Joel “Chef Jojo” Thomas cherishes four things: Cooking, hockey, the Anaheim Ducks, and Hockey Hall of Famer Willie O’Ree.

Clad in a Ducks jersey and carrying a Willie O’Ree bobblehead, Thomas ventured to Washington’s Capital One Arena Wednesday night to watch the annual Congressional Hockey Challenge between a team of D.C. lobbyists and a squad of lawmakers and to meet his idol, O’Ree, who was the National Hockey League’s first black player.

Mission accomplished.

Joel “Chef Jojo” Thomas with Hockey Hall of Famer Willie O’Ree at Capital One Arena in Washington.

To call Thomas hardcore hockey would be an understatement. The Washington, D.C.-area chef is a forward in a men’s league at the Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, Maryland, and helps out when he can with the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, North America’s oldest minority youth hockey program.

Thomas got hooked on hockey after seeing “The Mighty Ducks” movie as a kid and became an NHL Ducks fan back in the days when that team was Mighty.

And left wing Paul Kariya was his player, so much so that he made the journey to Anaheim in October 2018 to watch the Ducks retire Kariya’s number. He made the pilgrimage to Toronto to witness Kariya’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.

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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Washington Capitals roll out welcome for the Black Girl Hockey Club’s first meeting

16 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Black Girl Hockey Club, Devante Smith-Pelly, Earl Stafford, Kim Davis, Madison Bowey, Washington Capitals

All Renee Hess wanted was a little company.

“I had never seen two black women at a hockey game before,” said Hess, a Riverside, California resident who likes to attend Anaheim Ducks games. “So I made it my mission this year to make that happen.”

Mission accomplished, big time.  Hess’ organization, the Black Girl Hockey Club, held its inaugural meetup at the Washington Capitals–Buffalo Sabres game Saturday night at D.C.’s Capital One Arena.

The Black Girl Hockey Club meet members of the Washington Capitals after a game between the Buffalo Sabres and Capitals at Capital One Arena (Photo/ Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images).

More than 40 women of color traveled from across the country to join Hess and witness Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly notch his 100th National Hockey League career point in Washington’s 4-3 shootout win over Buffalo.

The game was exciting but so, too, was the sight of so many women of color and their hockey-playing children quickly bonding by sharing their experiences of being minorities in love with and involved in a predominately white sport.

“The more I started talking to women who were hockey fans, the more I realized that so many hadn’t been to games because they didn’t feel comfortable going to games or they didn’t know anybody who was going to go with them,” said Hess, an associate professor of English at La Sierra University in Riverside.

Black Girl Hockey Club Founder Renee Hess meets Washington Capitals defenseman Madison Bowey after a game between the Buffalo Sabres and Capitals (Photo/ Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images).

“Doing this in D.C., it turned into this big ‘ol thing that snowballed. Once people started hearing about it they were telling their friends – that one black friend who plays hockey,” she added. “We’re not islands, we just didn’t know the others existed. So what I wanted to do is make us more visible.”

Hess identified Washington as the perfect spot for the first meetup because the Capitals have two black players, Smith-Pelly and defenseman Madison Bowey; two black part-owners in Earl Stafford and Sheila Johnson; and the team won the Stanley Cup last season.

Washington also has a strong minority hockey history with the presence of the
Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, North America’s oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program.

Members of the Black Girl Hockey Club enjoy the game between the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres in D.C. Saturday night (Photo/Washington Capitals).

The Capitals and the National Hockey League – including Kim Davis, the league’s  executive vice president of social impact, growth and legislative affairs -rolled out the welcome mat for BGHC.

Stafford hosted a pre-game reception and spoke to the group in a conference room at Capital One Arena. Shandor Alphonso, the NHL’s only black on-ice official, stopped by with the rest of the officiating crew that worked Saturday’s game  and talked about what life is like wearing referee zebra stripes.

Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly signs Black Girl Hockey Club member Corinne McIntosh-Douglas’ jersey (Photo/Oyin Adedoyin/Morgan State University).

“I had not known of this organization, a gathering of those you typically wouldn’t expect to see at a hockey game,” Stafford told NHL.com. “It just encourages me that there are people out there interested in this great sport and we want to tell their story.”

Even Slap Shot, the Capitals mascot popped in to give high-fives and pose for pictures with the women and their kids. He brought along the mascots for the Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Washington Nationals baseball team and Washington Wizards basketball team.

Lonnie Bunch III, the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, was on hand to witness the historic event and attend his first NHL game.

Lonnie Bunch III, founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, attends his first NHL game and meets the Black Girl Hockey Club rocking a Devante Smith-Pelly jersey (Photo/Jackie Jones).

Friday, the BGHC members were given a personal tour of the popular museum with sports curator Damion Thomas as their guide. The women took a tour of Capitol Hill’s Capitol Visitor’s Center Friday morning, courtesy of Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a member of the Congressional Hockey Caucus.

After Saturday’s game, the group met and chatted with Smith-Pelly, Bowey, goaltender Braden Holtby, defenseman Brooks Orpik, and center Nic Dowd.

What a night! Devante Smith-Pelly scored his 100th career point and met Renee Hess, founder of the Black Girl Hockey Club #BGHC #hockeyisforeveryone #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/uud1nVAOJi

— TheColorOfHockey (@ColorOfHockey) December 16, 2018

“This is great, Smith-Pelly said. “I didn’t think it would be possible to have a room full of full of black hockey fans, black women hockey fans. It’s awesome. To have the people in this room behind me, it’s pretty cool.”

“That’s a good organization that they started and hopefully it gets bigger and they continue to try to change the game,” Smith-Pelly added.

Bowey agreed.

“This shows the diversity that’s come a long way,” he said. “Willie O’Ree broke the barrier for us, and I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done. It’s awesome to see this and it makes me very proud that I can be one player of color to make it in the NHL.”

Black Girl Hockey Club meet member Flo Clemmons strikes a pose with Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (Photo/Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images).

For Florence Clemmons, who traveled from Rochester, New York, meeting the Capitals players, Stafford and Alphonso was great, but bonding with such a large group of  black female hockey fans was something truly special.

“I think it’s important to show folks what we’re really all about,” said Clemmons,  who is program director for the Genesee Valley Youth Hockey Club. “We are a culture of folks that really likes the sport, knows about the sport, and really wants to see the sport grow.”

Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik signs autographs for some of the kids who attended the Black Girls Hockey Club meetup at the Capitals-Buffalo Sabres game in D.C. Saturday (Photo/Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images).

Kelsey Koelzer, a defenseman for the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League, said it was “a no brainer” for her and her mother, Kristine, to attend the meetup.

“Being a current black female hockey player and getting to meet up with fellow black hockey fans in general, it was something I knew I had to be a part of,” Koelzer said.  “I was surprised about the numbers, but really not surprised. I think the sport is growing a lot and catching on. Getting to do this in this setting, at an NHL game, is really, really special.”

Hess and her fellow BGHC members promise that Saturday’s meetup won’t be a one-off. BGHC, along with the Color of Hockey, are planning a February 10 gather in Tennessee for the Nashville Predators-St. Louis Blues match followed by the NWHL All-Star Game.  

“I know our numbers are going to grow, this being the first time,” Clemmons said. “I know once this becomes national, there’s no stopping us.”

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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