TheColorOfHockey

~ Hockey for Fans and Players of Color

TheColorOfHockey

Tag Archives: Josh Ho-Sang

Black players on NHL teams? The list is long

11 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Jarome Iginla, Josh Ho-Sang, Kevin Weekes, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Wayne Simmonds

A reader recently asked me if the New York Islanders had any other black players skate for them besides forward Josh Ho-Sang, a late-season call-up from the minor leagues, and former goaltender-turned-broadcaster Kevin Weekes.

The quick answer is yes: forward Kyle Okposo, who was taken by the Isles with the seventh overall pick in the 2006 National Hockey League Draft, played for the team until he joined the Buffalo Sabres for the 2016-17 season.

Christopher Gibson, a black goaltender from Finland, who appeared in four games last season, and three other players also had stints on Long Island  over the years.

The reader’s question made me realize that a lot of hockey fans,  especially newer ones, may not know that their favorite teams have had several black players on their rosters over the decades.

Every NHL team has had at least two black or biracial players on their rosters. The Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers have had 12 black players don their jerseys.

Few folks remember that  about 25 percent of 2010-11 roster of the Atlanta Thrashers – now the Winnipeg Jets – was black: Forwards Evander Kane, Anthony Stewart and Nigel Dawes and defensemen Dustin Byfuglien and Johnny Oduya.

Embed from Getty Images

 

Many of the players hail from traditional hockey areas like Toronto  or St. Paul, Minnesota.  But they also were born in non-traditional hockey places like Zaria, Nigeria,  Kingston, Jamaica,  Port-au-Prince, Haiti,  and Los Angeles, California.

The players run the gamut from those who’ve enjoyed long and Hockey Hall of Fame-worthy careers like Los Angeles Kings forward Jarome Iginla, and retired Oilers goaltending great Grant Fuhr to pugilists like forwards Val James and Donald Brashear to relative newbies like Ho-Sang.

Here’s a list of NHL teams and black players. Abbreviations: C=center, D=defense, G=goaltender, LW=left wing, RW=right wing.

ANAHEIM DUCKS: Emerson Etem, RW; Devante Smith-Pelley, RW; Chris Stewart, RW; Ray Emery, G.

ARIZONA COYOTES/WINNIPEG JETS: Anthony Duclair, LW; Jason Doig, D; Nigel Dawes, LW; Steven Fletcher, LW; Georges Laraque,  RW; Craig Martin, RW; Kenndal McArdle, LW; Eldon “Pokey” Reddick, G; Bill Riley, RW.

BOSTON BRUINS: Jarome Iginla,  Willie O’Ree, LW;  Graeme Townshend, RW; Malcolm Subban, G; Darren Banks,  LW; Anson Carter, RW; Ray Neufeld, RW; Nathan Robinson, C; Sean Brown, D;  Sandy McCarthy, RW.

BUFFALO SABRES: Val James, LW; Tony McKegney, LW; Evander Kane, LW; Mike Grier, RW; Justin Bailey, RW; Nick Baptiste, RW; Grant Fuhr, G;  Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, D; Rumun Ndur, D; Sean McMorrow, LW; Kyle Okposo, RW; Chris Stewart, RW.

CALGARY FLAMES: Akim Aliu, RW; Jarome Iginla, RW; Fred Brathwaite, G: Grant Fuhr, G; Nigel Dawes, LW; Olivier Kylington, D; Tyrone Garner, G.

Embed from Getty Images

 

CAROLINA HURRICANES/HARTFORD WHALERS: Sandy McCarthy, RW; Anson Carter, RW; Kevin Weekes, G, Ray Neufeld, RW; Derek Joslin, D; Anthony Stewart, RW.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Tony McKegney;  Dirk Graham, RW; Johnny Oduya, D; Dustin Byfuglien, D;  Ray Emery, G; Trevor Daley, D; Jamal Mayers, RW.

COLORADO AVALANCHE/QUEBEC NORDIQUES: Reggie Savage, C; Chris Stewart, RW; Jarome Iginla; Tony McKegney;  Greg Mauldin, C; Bernie Saunders, LW; Peter Worrell, LW; Shawn Belle, D; Andreas Martinsen, LW.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Fred Brathwaite, Anson Carter, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Seth Jones, D; Greg Mauldin.

DALLAS STARS/MINNESOTA NORTH STARS: Johnny Oduya, Chris Stewart, Trevor Daley, D; Gemel Smith, C; Maxime Fortunus, D.

DETROIT RED WINGS: Tony McKegney, Nathan Robinson,  Brian Johnson, RW.

EDMONTON OILERS:  Anson Carter,Grant Fuhr, Fred Brathwaite, Sean Brown, Mike Grier, Georges Laraque;  Joaquin Gage, G; Theo Peckham, D; Shawn Belle ; Mark Fraser D, Mike; Darnell Nurse, D; Eldon “Pokey” Reddick, G.

FLORIDA PANTHERS: Kevin Weekes, Eldon “Pokey” Reddick,  Peter Worrell, Anthony Stewart, Craig Martin, Kenndal McArdle, Eldon “Pokey” Reddick.

LOS ANGELES KINGS: Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla, Anson Carter  Mike Marson, LW; Wayne Simmonds, RW; Nathan LaFayette, C.

MINNESOTA WILD: Chris Stewart, Joel Ward, Shawn Belle; Robbie Earl, LW.

MONTREAL CANADIENS: Georges Laraque, Shawn Belle, Andreas Martinsen P.K Subban, D; Donald Brashear, D; Devante Smith-Pelly, RW;  Steven Fletcher, LW/D; Francis Bouillon, D; Nigel Dawes, LW.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Seth Jones, Francis Bouillon, P.K. Subban; Joel Ward, RW.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Devante Smith-Pelly, Kevin Weekes, Sean Brown, Mark Fraser, Johnny Oduya; Bryce Salvador, D; Claude Vilgrain, RW.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Josh Ho-Sang, Kyle Okposo, Kevin Weekes, Graeme Townshend, Christopher Gibson, Justin Johnson, Greg Mauldin.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Anthony Duclair, Sandy McCarthy, Nathan LaFayette,  Donald Brashear, Nigel Dawes, Anson Carter, Kevin Weekes, Andre Deveaux, Jason Doig, Emerson Etem, Tony McKegney,  Rumun Ndur.

Ottawa Senators: Ray Emery, Graeme Townshend.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Wayne Simmonds, Ray Emery, Claude Vilgrain, Donald Brashear, Sandy McCarthy; Pierre Edouard-Bellemare, LW.

Left to right: Philadelphia Flyers forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Wayne Simmonds with Willie O’Ree and former Flyer goalie Ray Emery (Photo/Philadelphia Flyers).

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Trevor Daley, Georges Laraque, Jarome Iginla, Darren Lowe, RW.

ST. LOUIS BLUES: Ryan Reaves, Grant Fuhr, Chris Stewart, Jamal Mayers, Fred Brathwaite, Nathan LaFayette, Tony McKegney, Bryce Salvador; Ryan Reaves, RW; Chris Beckford-Tseu, G.

SAN JOSE SHARKS: Joel Ward, Mike Grier, Derek Joslin, Jamal Mayers, Mike McHugh, LW;  Dale Craigwell, C.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: J.T. Brown, Kevin Weekes, Mike Grier; RW; Gerald Coleman, G.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Mark Fraser, Grant Fuhr, Val James, Robbie Earl, John Craighead, RW;  Andre Deveaux, C.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Anson Carter, Donald Brashear, Nathan LaFayette, Emerson Etem, Derek Joslin, Claude Vilgrain, Kevin Weekes,  Jordan Subban, D; Darren Archibald,  RW.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Reaves, Malcolm Subban, Keegan Kolesar.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Mike Marson, Bill Riley, Reggie Savage, Anson Carter, Donald Brashear, Jason Doig, Joel Ward.

WINNIPEG JETS/ATLANTA THRASHERS: Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane, Johnny Oduya, Rumun Ndur, Nigel Dawes, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Anthony Stewart.

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey.

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Josh Ho-Sang scores first NHL goal

08 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Cyril Bollers, Edmonton Oilers, Josh Ho-Sang, New York Islanders, Skillz Black Aces

Josh Ho-Sang wasn’t on time on the first day of the New York Islanders training camp his rookie year, a transgression that prompted the National Hockey League team to immediately ship the talented forward back to junior hockey.

New York Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang gets his first goal in his fourth NHL game.

Ho-Sang was right on time Tuesday night – scoring his first NHL goal on a wicked one-time slap shot that helped the Islanders beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in Edmonton.

Ho-Sang’s goal came in his fourth NHL game at 17:23 minutes of the first period on a power play shot that blew past Oilers goalie Cam Talbot.

Islanders forward Andrew Ladd retrieved the puck as a keepsake for Ho-Sang, the son of a black Jamaican father of Chinese descent and a Jewish Chilean mother with Russian and Swedish bloodlines.

The Islanders chose Ho-Sang in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft with the 28th overall pick. The move was viewed as controversial at the time – the Islanders made a trade to get the pick  – because Ho-Sang was considered to be too outspoken, too flashy, and too immature by several NHL general managers and scouts.

There’s no denying his talent.Still, several hockey purists are annoyed that Ho-Sang has been wearing Number 66 – digits that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mario Lemieux wore during his Hockey Hall of Fame career – since being called up by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ American Hockey League farm team.

But Ho-Sang has worn the number throughout his career in honor of Lemieux. He even wore it when he was a linemate of Oilers’ superstar Connor McDavid when they played for the Toronto Malboros youth hockey program.

Josh Ho-Sang scores first #NHL goal as Islanders grab 4-1 win over the Oilers. NYI back in front of TOR in WC race. https://t.co/Lu7AyZa4zM pic.twitter.com/pQJVkibLf2

— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) March 8, 2017

Congratulations @66jhosang scoring first @NHL goal #isles Many more to come #BlackAces @GTHLHockey @SpitsHockey @OHLIceDogs @CoachBollers

— Skillz Black Aces (@SkillzHockey1) March 8, 2017

In case you were wondering why it looked like @66jhosang was holding my hair back. He was balancing with one skate. #Isles 1st #NHL goal. pic.twitter.com/TpHpeG524y

— Shannon Hogan (@Shannon_Hogan) March 8, 2017

“It’s not disrespect,” Ho-Sang told New York’s Newsday before the Isles-Oilers game. “If anything, it’s the ultimate respect.”

McDavid told the paper that his former youth hockey teammate is sometimes misunderstood.

“He says what’s on his mind and you have to respect that,” McDavid said.

 

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Akil Thomas taken in first round by Niagara IceDogs in OHL draft

09 Saturday Apr 2016

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Akil Thomas, Josh Ho-Sang, New York Islanders, Niagara IceDogs, Toronto Marlies

Akil Thomas has gone to the dogs – the Niagara IceDogs.

The 16-year-old forward for the minor midget Toronto Marlboros was chosen by the major junior hockey IceDogs in the first round with the 12th overall pick in Saturday’s Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection draft.

“It’s the best day of my life right now,” Akil told me Saturday. “It’s a great team that’s doing well this year. They have a lot of guys leaving so it will give me a good opportunity to step in and get some ice time and play for a great organization.”

Akil, a Brandon, Florida, native, tallied 33 goals and 39 assists in 56 games for the Marlies in the 2015-16 season. He helped power the Marlies to the finals of the OHL Cup Showcase tournament last month.

The team lost to the York-Simcoe Express 2-1 in double-overtime. But Akil led the tournament in scoring with 6 goals and 7 assists in seven games and was named to the Gatorade OHL Cup All-Star Team.

“We’re excited to get him,  IceDogs General Manager/Head Coach Marty Williamson told The St. Catharines Standard. “We really had him going in front of us. He was a pretty easy pick for us sitting there at 12… I really liked him. I thought in the OHL Cup he really put his team on his back.”

Niagara IceDogs on Instagram: “Welcome to the Niagara IceDogs Akil Thomas! #OHLDraft” https://t.co/O4GPVT8jnB pic.twitter.com/y8nnJmIiG6

— Niagara Falls NY (@NiagaraFallsrr) April 9, 2016

Still, Akil was surprised that he was drafted so high because he’s also weighing offers to play NCAA Division I hockey. Several schools, including Arizona State University, the University of New Hampshire, Boston University, Penn State University, University of Michigan, and the University of Maine have inquired about him, his family said.

Both the NCAA college hockey and major junior hockey routes are high-profile stepping stones to reaching the National Hockey League, Akil’s ultimate goal.

“I hadn’t made up my mind whether I was going to go NCAA or OHL and usually teams want to know 100 percent if they’re going to take a first-rounder,” Akil told me.

Congrats to Akil Thomas of @GTHLHockey @TorontoMarlboro selected 12th overall by @OHLIceDogs in 2016 #OHLDraft pic.twitter.com/fDmryd7I7k

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) April 9, 2016

The IceDogs began heavily wooing Akil Saturday. The young forward and his family met with Williamson and some of the team’s players, including forward Josh Ho-Sang, a New York Islanders 2014  first-round draft pick. The team even gave Akil some of Ho-Sang’s sticks.

IceDogs' Josh Ho-Sang, a N.Y. Islanders draft pick, met Akil Thomas after OHL draft.

IceDogs’ Josh Ho-Sang, a N.Y. Islanders draft pick, met Akil Thomas after OHL draft.

Ho-Sang, 20, is in his final season with the IceDogs. Depending on how he does in training camp in September, he could wind up in Brooklyn with the Islanders or skating for the team’s American Hockey League farm team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the 2016-17 season.

“Our whole family met with him today,” Akil said of Ho-Sang, who also played minor midget hockey for the Marlies. “It was cool that I got to meet him. It’s kind of cool that maybe I could fill his shoes someday, if I were to play for the IceDogs.”

The IceDogs also drafted Akil’s best friend and Marlies teammate, defenseman Pierre-Luc Cote Forget, in the ninth round.

Akil comes from solid hockey stock. His father, Kahlil Thomas, was a right wing who played in 828 pro games for 13 teams in nine leagues in three countries from 1996 to 2008.

Thomas and his wife, Akilah, own the Oshawa RiverKings of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. Akil’s uncle, Leo Thomas, is a forward who split time this season between the Mississippi RiverKings of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets.

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Josh Ho-Sang embarrassed that Islanders cut him for oversleeping

21 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Josh Ho-Sang, New York Islanders, Niagara IceDogs

Josh Ho-Sang blames himself for oversleeping on Day 1 of Isles training camp.

Josh Ho-Sang blames himself for oversleeping on Day 1 of Isles training camp.

Forward Josh Ho-Sang, a New York Islanders 2014 first-round draft pick, said he’s embarrassed by being cut by the team for oversleeping on the first day of training camp.

Ho-Sang, 19, was sent packing from the Isles to the Niagara IceDogs, his Ontario Hockey League major juniors team and told bluntly by Islanders General Manager Garth Snow to get his act together.

“Obviously a lot more people found out about my mistake than other people’s daily one, but I definitely take ownership,” Ho-Sang told the Long Island newspaper Newsday following an IceDogs 2-1 preseason loss to the Kitchener Rangers in which Ho-Sang scored the lone Niagara Falls goal. “I don’t think there’s anyone to blame…it’s embarrassing.”

Give the full Newsday story a read. Also check out this excellent story by Sportsnet about the vexing conundrum that is Josh Ho-Sang.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Hockey season’s coming! Wait, it’s already here news-wise!

19 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Josh Ho-Sang, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, P.K. Subban, Ray Emery, Tampa Bay Lightning, Willie O'Ree

The puck hasn’t dropped for the 2015-16 hockey season yet and there’s already tons of news – most of it good, some of it worrisome.

First, three cheers for Willie O’Ree. The American Hockey League’s new San Diego Gulls franchise is hosting “Willie O’Ree Night” on Oct. 16 and will honor the National Hockey League’s first black player before the Gulls take on the Bakersfield Condors.

O’Ree skated into the NHL and history on Jan. 18, 1958 as a Boston Bruins forward playing against the Montreal Canadiens at the old Montreal Forum. He appeared in 45 games over two seasons for the Bruins – 1957-58 and 1960-61 – and tallied 4 goals, 10 assists and 26 penalty minutes.

Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first black player, will be honored by the AHL's San Diego Gulls next month.

Willie O’Ree, the NHL’s first black player, will be honored by the AHL’s San Diego Gulls next month.

The bulk of his professional hockey career was spent with the San Diego Gulls and the Los Angeles Blades of the old Western Hockey League. In 13 WHL seasons, O’Ree played 785 games, scored 328 goals and 311 assists and amassed 669 penalty minutes. Not bad for a guy who’s blind in his right eye.

“Willie’s a trailblazer and international sports icon,” said Ari Segal,  president of

Willie O'Ree, back in the day.

Willie O’Ree, back in the day.

business operations for the Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks farm team. “He’s worked tirelessly throughout his life to promote diversity in our sport, and increase access to hockey for people of all races, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to honor him and celebrate his life and historic career on the day after his 80th birthday.”

O’Ree, the NHL’s director for Youth Development and ambassador for NHL Diversity, said he’s thrilled to be honored by his hometown team.

“I’m proud and thankful that the club has chosen to honor me during its inaugural AHL season,” he said. “This organization has proven time and again its commitment to becoming deeply ingrained in this community, including and beyond the 34 home game dates.”

Shameless plug: I profile O’Ree  along with Larry Kwong and Fred Sasakamoose – the NHL’s first Asian and Indian players – in the upcoming issue of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Legends program guide. It should be available after the 2015 Hall of Fame induction festivities in November.

P.K. Subban is paying it forward, donating $10 million to the Montreal Children's Hospital.

P.K. Subban is paying it forward, donating $10 million to the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban hasn’t played a game yet this season but he already scored a huge goal when pledged $10 million to the  Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Subban’s gesture is the largest philanthropic commitment ever by a professional athlete in Canada. For his generous donation, the hospital renamed its atrium “Atrium P.K. Subban.”

The flamboyant and sometimes controversial defenseman, a Toronto native, sent a message with his contribution: Hockey-insane Montreal is his town.

“The P.K. Subban Atrium is not only my footprint to the city but, more importantly, it is my sole promise to give back to those who have given me so much.”

Subban’s been on a roll in recent years. The 26-year-old won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2014 Winter Games with Team Canada, he’s a two-time All-Star, and a 2013 Norris Trophy recipient as the NHL’s best defenseman. And he’s rich. He signed an eight-year contract with the Canadiens reportedly worth $72 million in 2014.

“P.K. is a person of character, who strives for success, always working at new ways to stay on top of his game and he understands the value of teamwork,” said Martine Alfonso, the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s associate executive director. “He is an outstanding role model for our patients and personifies the excellence for which the Children’s is world-renowned.”

Ray Emery isn’t trying to catch lightning in a bottle. He’s trying catch on with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The unemployed goaltender signed a professional tryout offer with the Lightning after the team saw most of its goaltending depth get wheeled into the emergency room.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, starting goalie Ben Bishop’s primary backup, is out for 2-3 months following surgery earlier this month to remove a blood clot from under his left collar bone. Kristers Gudlevskis suffered an injury while playing in a prospects tournament recently.

That leaves an open lane for Emery. The 32-year-old, 11-season NHL vet had a 10-11-7 record with the Philadelphia Flyers last season. He had a 3.06 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage for a team that failed to make the playoffs.

Emery appeared to struggle with explosive lateral movements last season, raising

Ray Emery wants to prove he's still got game at the Lightning's training camp.

Ray Emery wants to prove he’s still got game at the Lightning’s training camp.

questions about whether his right hip, surgically-repaired in 2010, was giving him trouble. The injury was devastating enough back then that many hockey people thought his career was over.

The Flyers opted not to re-sign Emery as Steve Mason’s backup. Philly signed former Washington Capitals-Buffalo Sabres-New York Islanders netminder Michal Neuvirth to a two-year deal reportedly worth $3.25 million.

Emery told the Tampa Bay Times that he’s “not done,” his hip his fine, and it wasn’t the problem last season. He chalked his 2014-15 pedestrian numbers to playing on a bad Flyers team.

“It was a frustrating year on that team,” Emery told The Times. “My season definitely reflected that as well. When you don’t make the playoffs, that’s normally how your season is. You’ve got some good parts, but they don’t outweigh the bad parts.”

Emery is auditioning for the Lightning under the watchful eye of goalie coach Frantz Jean, one of the few coaches of color in the NHL.

It was over before it began for Josh Ho-Sang. The Islanders 2014 first-round draft pick, the 28th overall selection, arrived late for the first day of the team’s training camp. Quicker than a New York minute, the Isles cut the controversial but talented forward and shipped him back to the Niagara IceDogs, his Ontario Hockey League major junior team.

Not even one, but done. Ho-Sang was reportedly late for Day 1 of Islanders camp and sent back to his junior team.

Not even one, but done. Ho-Sang was reportedly late for Day 1 of Islanders camp and sent back to his junior team.

Arthur Staple, the Islanders beat  writer for Long Island’s Newsday, wrote that Head Coach Jack Capuano had planned to have Ho-Sang working on a training camp line with team captain John Tavares and Anders Lee.

“Enough with the bull,” Snow told Newsday Saturday. “It’s time to grow up.”

Snow told the newspaper that Ho-Sang is “obviously talented, but talent isn’t the issue.”

“It’s about becoming a professional and acting like one,” he told the newspaper. “Hopefully he takes this lesson and learns from it. It’s really up to him now – we can’t do anything else for him in this area.”

Team management was so miffed by Ho-Sang’s tardiness that they made the 19-year-old run the stairs of the Nassau Coliseum for three hours, Newsday reported.

Ho-Sang is one of the most talented hockey players to come out of Canada in years. He has scary scoring hands and speed to burn on the ice. But he also scares hockey establishment people because of his outspokenness and what they perceive as his immaturity.

He’s spoken bluntly about race and hockey and he’s blasted Hockey Canada for not inviting him to its summer camp for the world juniors team two years ago after he notched 85 points in 67 games.

Marty Williamson, the IceDogs’ general manager, told the Bullet News of Niagara that the Islanders told him that Ho-Sang was late for training camp because he overslept. He said Ho-Sang is “very upset and humbled by the whole thing.”

The IceDogs GM called Ho-Sang “a good kid” who’s “made a lot of strides in the right direction.” But he also called Ho-Sang out, saying he still has much to do before becoming the elite player that some in the hockey world believe he can be.

“He has some habits he needs to work on,” Williamson told the Bullet News. “He stays up too late playing video games and stuff like that. He sleeps through things and gets himself exhausted.”

Here’s hoping that Ho-Sang takes this oversleeping episode, and the Islanders tough-love approach to it, as a wake-up call.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

New York Islanders take Joshua Ho-Sang in first round of 2014 NHL Draft

28 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Josh Ho-Sang, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Windsor Spitfires

Look out Brooklyn, here comes Joshua Ho-Sang.

With several National Hockey League teams reluctant to pull the trigger and use a first-round draft pick to take the flashy, high-scoring Windsor Spitfires forward, the New York Islanders eagerly snapped up the 18-year-old Ho-Sang Friday night with the 28th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. In fact, the Islanders made a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning to get back into the first round to get Ho-Sang.

Joshua Ho-Sang (left) was taken by the New York Islanders, the 28th player picked in the 2014 NHL Draft.

Joshua Ho-Sang (left) was taken by the New York Islanders, the 28th player picked in the 2014 NHL Draft.

A relieved-looking Ho-Sang walked onto the stage inside Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, pulled on an Islanders jersey and happily tugged on a team cap.

“It’s just such an opportunity and a moment I’ll cherish forever,” he told TSN.

Many general managers were down on Ho-Sang, despite the 32 goals and 52 assists in 67 games for the Ontario Hockey League Spitfires last season. They viewed Ho-Sang as an individualistic, one-dimensional offensive machine who’s more of an electrifying highlight reel entertainer than a hockey player. They were concerned that he could not – or would not – conform his game to fit their teams.

Some comments he made in pre-draft interviews this week also didn’t endear him some in the hockey establishment. Some NHL team were quoted as saying Ho-Sang was on their Do Not Draft lists.

“All I was saying was that I truly believe in myself and I think if you ask any player in the draft, they do, too,” Ho-Sang said.

The Islanders weren’t scared off. General Manager Garth Snow said Ho-Sang will “fit right in” with the Isles and joked later in a television interview that “They(critics)  sh** on me, too.”
“They can’t s*** on me any more than they do, I think is what I said,” Snow later told The New York Daily News. “I don’t care. We get players that we feel can help us win a championship, and we don’t give a s*** what anyone else thinks – except our fans, or course.”
So the son of a Jamaican father of Chinese descent and a Jewish Chilean mother with Russian and Swedish bloodlines now hopes to take his talents to New York. Ho-Sang isn’t NHL-ready yet. But he could be by the 2015-16 season when the Islanders move from Long Island’s Nassau County Coliseum – one of the NHL’s oldest arenas – to multi-ethnic, multicultural Brooklyn and the Barclays Center.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

When and where for Joshua Ho-Sang in 2014 NHL Draft?

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

2014 NHL Draft, Josh Ho-Sang, Montreal Canadiens, P.K. Subban, Philadelphia Flyers, Windsor Spitfires

As this weekend’s 2014 NHL Draft approaches perhaps the biggest question is where Windsor Spitfires forward Joshua Ho-Sang will land?

Most scouts agree that Ho-Sang has first round talent – a natural goal scorer with great hands, vision, playmaking skills, agility and speed. Still, on the eve of the draft it’s anyone’s guess which team will select him and in what round. In its final draft rankings, Canada’s TSN.ca listed Ho-Sang as the 30th among North American and European skaters, a 10-slot drop from the sports website’s March ranking.

When and where will Windsor's talented Joshua Ho-Sang go in 2014 NHL Draft?

When and where will Windsor’s talented Joshua Ho-Sang go in 2014 NHL Draft?

He was ranked 18th in the NHL’s Central Scouting midterm list and slipped to 22nd in their final survey. Still, TSN Scouting Director Craig Button wrote that Ho-Sang “Continues to grow as a player. Excellent hands and can make plays in tight and is very difficult to get the puck from. He can make plays that very few are capable of. A dynamic type player. One of the most highly skilled players in draft.”

But Button’s assessment hasn’t stopped the naysayers from saying their nays about Ho-Sang.

Some of the negatives are physical: Listed at a generous 5-11, 176-lbs he’s considered undersized by some hockey people. But being short and light didn’t stop him from tallying 32 goals, 53 assists in 67 games for the Ontario Hockey League Spitfires. He’s scored 129 points in 130 career OHL regular season games. Defense isn’t his forte, though his plus/minus was a plus-26 in the 2013-14 season.

Then there are the questions of conformity. In a team sport the stresses playing the right way, Ho-Sang is pure offense and makes no apologies for it. He loves the puck and apparently it loves him because its hard to get it off his stick. He’s a human highlight reel who dangles, dekes, scores and enthusiastically celebrates. One of his tweets says  “A goal without a celly is like peanut butter without jelly.”

“A majority of skill players love to dangle, everyone loves to score, set up nice goals,” he told Sportnet’s Damien Cox. “You kind of have to find that in-between because not every play can be a highlight reel, you can’t beat two or three guys every shift. You have to pick your spots. A lot of that comes with maturity and understanding when to o it and not to do it.”

And Ho-Sang talks proudly about his talents and who he is, the son of a Jamaican father of Chinese descent and a Jewish Chilean mother with

Windsor Spitfires' Josh Ho-Sang skating for the Skillz Black Aces.

Windsor Spitfires’ Josh Ho-Sang skating for the Skillz Black Aces.

Russian and Swedish bloodlines. In interviews, he’s talked about being ready to be part of the changing face of the NHL, joining the likes of Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban and Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, players who’ve also been under hockey’s sometimes harsh microscope.

“Because of all the backgrounds I have, I could bring a lot of interest in the game, for sure,” he told Cox. “I have all the pieces to bring a lot of people together. It’s cool to have the ability to inspire people, for sure.”

Ho-Sang hasn’t been afraid to mention race. He told The Toronto Sun “I think color definitely plays a factor in perception.” said Ho-Sang.

“When I start dangling, my GM calls me a Harlem Globetrotter,” Ho-Sang told The Sun’s Steve Simmons. Why am I a Harlem Globetrotter? Analogies get related to basketball all the time with me. I don’t play basketball. I’ve never played basketball. I’m a hockey player. Why are they doing that?

Apparently all of this – coupled with a six-game OHL suspension for a play that caused London Knights defenseman Zach Bell to suffer a broken leg – might be too much for some NHL teams.  Simmons reported Tuesday that “numerous teams have Ho-Sang on their Do Not Draft List.” Simmons wrote that only 18 of the NHL’s 30 teams interviewed him at the NHL Combine.

“And if I picked him, my scouts would all revolt,” the chief scout told Simmons. “He doesn’t fit what we’re looking for.” So much for the sports mantra of taking the best available player with a pick.

The criticisms haven’t dampened Ho-Sang’s spirit or confidence going into the draft this Friday and Saturday at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, home of the Flyers.

“If I was a general manager and had first pick in the draft, I’d pick me No. 1,” he told The Sun. “In three years, I’ll be the best player in this draft. And I have no doubt about that. I know myself. I know the other players. I believe in my ability. There are guys ranked ahead of me who are nowhere near me.”

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Skillz Hockey’s Cyril Bollers named to 2015 Canada Winter Games hockey staff

06 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Cyril Bollers, Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers, Josh Ho-Sang, Montreal Canadiens, P.K. Subban, Pittsburgh Penguins., Sidney Crosby, Skillz Black Aces

Cyril Bollers, president and coach of Skillz Hockey, has been named an assistant coach for Ontario’s Under-16 hockey team that will compete in the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Cyril Bollers will help map X's and O's for Team Ontario at 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Cyril Bollers will help map X’s and O’s for Team Ontario at 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Bollers will help Team Ontario Head Coach Drew Bannister,an assistant coach for the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack, guide a squad of some the province’s best hockey players under 16 years of age at the Winter Games, which are held every four years.  David Schlitt, head coach of the Huron-Perth Lakers Minor Midget team, rounds out the Ontario hockey coaching staff.

The 19-event sport festival will be held Feb. 13-March 1, 2015 in Prince George, British Columbia. The games have been a showcase for some of Canada’s best athletes including Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, and Canadian women’s hockey Olympic Gold Medalist Haley Wickenheiser.

“This is wonderful. It’s an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to have been selected,” Bollers said. “I’m just going to go out, try my best and make Ontario proud.”

Bollers is president and head coach of Skillz Hockey and associate coach of the Markham Majors Minor Midget AAA team in the Toronto area. He is one of the few coaches of color in organized hockey.

There currently are only two minority head coaches in the NHL – Philadelphia Flyers’ Craig Berube and Buffalo Sabres Ted Nolan, who are both First Nations. Paul Jerrard, who is black, served as an assistant coach for the NHL Dallas Stars last season. He’s an assistant coach this season for the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets, a Vancouver Canucks farm team. Darren Lowe, who is black, coaches the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s hockey team.

Bollers hopes to join their ranks in the not-to-distant future.

 Bollers hopes that he and the kids he's coached rise in pro hockey.

Bollers hopes that he and the kids he’s coached rise in pro hockey.

“After all the years of all the hard work, this is the opportunity that I was looking for,” Bollers said of the Canadian Winter Games appointment. “Once you get this opportunity you have to make the best of it and it could lead to other things.”

Between Markham and his Skillz Black Aces and Black Mafia teams, Bollers has coached a stable of players – minority and white – who’ve gone on to successful major junior hockey careers and positioned themselves to become NHL players.

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defenseman Darnell Nurse, the Edmonton Oilers first-round draft pick last summer, Kitchener Rangers forward Justin Bailey, a Buffalo Sabres 2013 second-round pick, and Bellville Bulls defenseman Jordan Subban, the Vancouver Canucks’ 2013 fourth-round pick and brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban, all played under Bollers.

And more of Bollers’ former players are expected to chosen in the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia this summer. Josh Ho-Sang, a forward for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires was listed as the 18th best North American skater in the NHL’s mid-term draft rankings last January; Brendan Lemieux, a forward for the OHL’s Barrie Colts and son of retired NHL player Claude Lemieux, was ranked 38th; Keegan Iverson, a forward for the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, was ranked 64th; Owen Sound Attack forward Jaden Lindo was ranked 96th; and Colts forward Cordell James placed 126th on the NHL list.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Ho-Sang, Iverson, Lindo, and James crack NHL midterm draft ranking list

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2014 NHL Draft, Jaden Lindo, Josh Ho-Sang, Keegan Iverson, Owen Sound Attack, Portland Winterhawks, Windsor Spitfires

The National Hockey League’s 2014 midterm draft rankings are out and players of color populate the list from top to bottom. Forward Josh Ho-Sang of the Ontario Hockey League’s  Windsor Spitfires placed highest – listed as the 18th best North American skater. Forward Keegan Iverson of the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks ranked 64th among draft-eligible North American players.Forward Jaden Lindo of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack was graded as the 96th-best North American player. And Cordell James, a forward for the OHL’s Barrie Colts, ranked 126th among North American skaters.

NHL scouts ranked Windsor's Josh Ho-Sang as the 18th-best North American skater.

NHL scouts ranked Windsor’s Josh Ho-Sang as the 18th-best North American skater.

Samuel Bennett, a forward for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs topped the list of North American skaters, with 26 goals and 66 points so far this season. Kasperi Kapanen, a forward for KalPa of Finland’s SM-liiga, heads the list of draft-eligible European skaters. He has four goals and four assists.

The draft will be conducted June 27-28 at the Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia Flyers. Last year, eight minority players were chosen in the draft. Some hockey experts think this year’s draft could exceed that number.

Some people believe that the offensively-gifted Ho-Sang could be a first or second round pick.  He has 19 goals and 32 assists for the Spitfires in 42 games. Craig Button, director of scouting for Canada’s TSN, ranks Ho-Sang 33rd among North Americans and European draft-eligible players.

“I like him as a player,” Chris Edwards, a scout for the NHL’s central scouting bureau told The Windsor Star. “He’s highly-skilled and has a chance to be a good pro.”

Bob Boughner, Ho-Sang’s coach at Windsor, agrees but also noted that the young player still has some work to do.

 Owen Sound's Jaden Lindo ranks 96th among North American players.

Owen Sound’s Jaden Lindo ranks 96th among North American players.

“You can’t teach his skill, but he still has to learn to conform a little and make guys around him better,” Boughner told The Star.

Ho-Sang, who’ll turn 18 on Jan. 22, still has some growing up to do. he was scratched for one game this season for what Boughner termed “internal discipline problems.” Ho-Sang told The Star the benching stemmed from being late for a practice.

Portland's Keegan Iverson occupies the 64th slot among North American skaters.  (Brian Heim/Portland  Winterhawks).

Portland’s Keegan Iverson occupies the 64th slot among North American skaters. (Brian Heim/Portland Winterhawks).

“I know it could (hurt my draft ranking), but that’s not what bothers me,” he told the newspaper. “It’s the 22 players (teammates) in that room that I let down.”

Barrie Colts' Cordell James ranks 126th on NHL draft list. Barrie Colts (Terry Wilson Photography)

Barrie Colts’ Cordell James ranks 126th on NHL draft list. Barrie Colts (Terry Wilson Photography)

Button ranks Lindo the 76th best player available. Lindo has nine goals and nine assists in 35 games for the Attack. Iverson, who didn’t make Button’s list, has 10 goals and 11 assists for Portland. James has tallied two goals and three assists in 39 games for the Colts.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

“Black Aces” players, coach, hope NHL futures are in the cards

13 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Black Mafia, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Fred Sasaskamoose, Josh Ho-Sang, Montreal Canadiens, Owen Sound Attack, Saginaw Spirit, Skillz Black Aces, Toronto, Willie O'Ree

With names like the Black Aces and Black Mafia and a logo featuring a smiling dude with sunglasses and an afro, you knew that these teams were going to be just a little different.

But different was what the Skillz Black Aces and Black Mafia were all about. The early squads were Toronto-based summer youth hockey teams comprised of elite,  National Hockey League draft-eligible players born in 1995 and 1996 – and almost all of them black.

The teams barnstormed summer hockey tournaments in the United States and Canada and consistently dominated opponents with their speed and skill.

“It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life,” said Windsor Spitfires forward Josh Ho-Sang, who skated for four summers with the Skillz teams before joining the Ontario Hockey League franchise. His father, Wayne Ho-Sang also served as a team coach.

Skillz Black Aces Coach Cyril Bollers, rear left, and his 2010  team.

Skillz Black Aces Coach Cyril Bollers, rear left, and his 2010 team.

The Black Aces and Black Mafia alumni reads like a page from “Who’s Who Among Up-And-Coming Hockey Players”: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds  defenseman Darnell Nurse, the Edmonton Oilers’ 2013  first-round pick last summer; Kitchener Rangers forward Justin Bailey, a Buffalo Sabres second-round pick; forward Stephen Harper of the Erie Otters; and Bellville Bulls defenseman Jordan Subban, the Vancouver Canucks’ fourth-round pick and the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban and Boston Bruins goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban.

And players hoping to hear NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman call their name at next summer’s draft in Philadelphia includes forwards Ho-Sang, Jeremiah Addison of the Saginaw Spirit, Jaden Lindo of the Owen Sound Attack, Keegan Iverson of the Portland Winterhawks, and Cordell James and defenseman C.J. Garcia of the Barrie Colts.

Coach Cyril Bollers, right, with Josh Burnside, who now plays for the OHL Mississauga Steelheads.

Coach Cyril Bollers, right, with Josh Burnside, who now plays for the OHL Mississauga Steelheads.

Like his players, Skillz President and Coach Cyril Bollers has professional hockey dreams. He hopes the progress of his players – along with him obtaining the requisite certifications, credentials, and experience – will lead to a coaching job behind the bench of a major junior, American Hockey League or NHL team.

“I have ambitions and I’m hoping that I get an opportunity,” Bollers told me recently. “With the face of hockey changing, and more visible minorities becoming involved, eventually it has to change at the coaching level as well.”

The success of Bollers’ summer teams over the years has attracted the attention of the broader hockey community to the point that the squads are no longer just a black thing.

White players like Brendan Lemieux, a Barrie Colts left wing and son of retired NHL agitator supreme Claude Lemieux, and Chad Hefferman, a Bellville Bulls left winger and stepson of former Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers sniper Steve Larmer, have played for Bollers.

“Guys who all played (pro hockey) were sending their kids to come to play for us,” Bollers said. “We integrated (with) good hockey players. It doesn’t matter to us –  black or white or purple. We’re just a good hockey team.”

 Jeremiah Addison with OHL Saginaw. (Photo: Saginaw Spirit)

Jeremiah Addison with OHL Saginaw. (Photo: Saginaw Spirit)

Bollers teams are a legacy of a Skillz hockey program that was created to give minority and disadvantaged Canadian youth the exposure and the opportunity to play the expensive sport of hockey.

The program helped produce a talented crop of NHL players: Joel Ward of the Washington Capitals; Chris Stewart of the St. Louis Blues; Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers; and retired NHLers Anson Carter, Jamal Mayers, and Hockey Night in Canada/NBC Sports Network/NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, who went on to help underwrite Skillz.

Skillz Black Aces alum Cordell James with Barrie Colts (Terry Wilson Photography)

Skillz Black Aces alum Cordell James with Barrie Colts (Terry Wilson Photography)

In the years that followed, Bollers added the competitive summer teams to the program. The initial squads wore their ethnicity with pride – and with a purpose.

“We wanted to make a statement. The statement originally was we had all black coaches, all the kids on the team were black, and that was great,” Bollers said. “We wanted to prove that, yes, African-Canadians can coach at this level and that our kids could play at this level.”

Racial attitudes have come a long way since Fred Sasakamoose became the NHL’s first Native/First Nation player during the 1953-54 season and Willie O’Ree became the league’s first black player in 1958.

But minority players are still occasionally subjected to stereotyping and racial taunts by

Barrie's C.J. Garcia, a Black Aces alum (Terry Wilson Photography).
Barrie’s C.J. Garcia, a Black Aces alum (Terry Wilson Photography).

fans, teammates, opposing players, coaches, and on-ice officials – from youth hockey to the professional ranks.

Look no further than the torrent of racist emails from so-called Bruins fans after Ward scored a Game 7 overtime goal that vanquished Boston from the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs. Or the Flyers-Detroit Red Wings 2011 preseason game in London, Ont., where an alleged fan threw a banana towards Simmonds during a shootout.

“People don’t understand what our guys go through, they don’t get it, even I don’t truly get what these guys go through,” said Amy Iverson, Keegan Iverson’s mother.

The Skillz elite teams offer is a change of pace for young players of color: a respite from being the only one on the team or the player who has to conform to a locker room culture where country and rock music are often rule, Bollers said.

“From the get-go, you walked into our dressing room the one thing you’d noticed we had reggae playing, we had Bob Marley, Caribbean music playing,” Bollers said. “So when we first started out, that was a of letting their hair down so to speak, culture, enjoying themselves.”

Justin Bailey of OHL Kitchener played for Bollers. (Kitchener Rangers).

Justin Bailey of OHL Kitchener played for Bollers. (Kitchener Rangers).

And how did the predominately black teams go over with opposing players and fans?

“There were some people who had problems with it and there were some people who thought it was great,” Ho-Sang recalled. “Sometimes when we played against teams from the (United) States there was a little more hostility, right, because I find the States are a little more race-conscious than Canada. But everything was good, we never had any problems.”

But Karen Buscaglia, Justin Bailey’s mother, recalled that the Black Mafia name was too much for one opposing parent. He angrily removed the name from the board at a tournament, she said.

“One of the dads from the other team was, like, “Stupid coons,” and erased it,” said Buscaglia, who’s white and Italian-American. “I was like ‘Did that just happen?’ I was so blown away by that.  If anybody else called themselves whatever the name was, nobody would have had an issue with it. But because the team was predominately black team, and they were winning, and they were good…it is what it is.”

Portland's Keegan Iverson, a Black Aces alum (Brian Heim/Portland  Winterhawks).

Portland’s Keegan Iverson, a Black Aces alum (Brian Heim/Portland Winterhawks).

The “Black Aces” moniker has a rich hockey history. In the 1940s, former Bruins great Eddie Shore owned the minor league Springfield Indians and used the name to describe players who were trying to work their way back from injury or out of the doghouse.

The name was also given to the famous all-black 1940s hockey line of the Sherbrooke Saints that featured Herb Carnegie – regarded by many as the greatest player never to play in the NHL – brother Ossie Carnegie and Manny McIntyre.

Skillz players and parents describe Bollers, 44, as one part Hockey Hall of Fame Coach Scotty Bowman, one part NFL Hall of Fame Coach Vince Lombardi, and one part Sunday preacher. He instills in his players a hockey tactician’s knowledge, the X’s and O’s of the game. He’s a demanding, no-nonsense task-master who is quick to reward fine play and quick to punish poor performance with a seat on the bench. He’s a fiery motivational speaker a la televangelists T.D. Jakes or Joel Osteen.

OHL Windsor's Josh Ho-Sang skating for the Black Aces.

OHL Windsor’s Josh Ho-Sang skating for the Black Aces.

“After one tournament, the locker room was like a Baptist church on a Sunday morning because it was like (Bollers ) was giving a sermon,”Buscaglia recalled. “He had such a high energy, such excitement for the kids, such a love of the game. And he wasn’t easy on the kids, either. He really pushed you to be your best and you earned your time. It was just a different level of hockey and the kids were having fun while doing it.”

When Keegan Iverson saw how much the fun Black Aces were having during a tournament in Toronto about four summers ago, he desperately wanted to join the team. When he received an invite from Bollers, Iverson’s mother packed the family into the car the following summer and made a two-day trek from Minnesota to join the Bollers’ team at a tournament in Upstate New York.

Erie Otters' Stephen Harper played for Cyril Bollers

Erie Otters’ Stephen Harper played for Cyril Bollers

“It was a real powerful experience for Keegan,” his mother said. “It was just a different vibe. “C.J. is a strong personality of a guy. He instills that it’s okay to be good, it’s okay to be the best.”

She thinks the Black Aces influence on Keegan is reflected in the NHL players he’s chosen as role models. When HFBoards asked him during this year’s Ivan Hlinka Tournament who those players are, Iverson smiled broadly and said Simmonds and Boston Bruins forward Jarome Iginla.”

To learn more about the Skillz Black Aces and Black Mafia visit www.skillzhockey.com.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype

Like this:

Like Loading...

Recent Posts

  • Asian & Pacific Islander heritage players on 2020-21 team rosters in pictures
  • Meet the Black players on NCAA women’s hockey rosters in 2020-21
  • Jaden Lindo adds new chapter to ‘Soul on Ice’ by winning hockey championship
  • Sarah Nurse seeks gold at IIHF world championship after winning Olympic silver
  • Hockey Family Photo Album, Page 2

Archives

  • May 2021
  • February 2021
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • April 2013
  • December 2012

Categories

  • John Tortorella
  • nhl.com
  • Uncategorized

Hockey Links

  • American Collegiate Hockey Association
  • Black Ice Book
  • Detroit Hockey Association
  • Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation
  • Fort Dupont Ice Arena
  • Hasek's Heroes
  • Hockey is for Everyone
  • Hockeyland Canada
  • Ice Hockey in Harlem
  • International Ice Hockey Federation
  • Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation
  • Kevin Weekes Online
  • NHL official website
  • NHL Uniforms
  • Ted's Take
  • The American Hockey League
  • The ECHL
  • TSN
  • USA Hockey

Powered by WordPress.com.

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: