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Tag Archives: P.K. Subban

Southern comfort: Black Girl Hockey Club attends Predators, NWHL All-Star games

10 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Black Girl Hockey Club, Blake Bolden, Nashville Predators, NWHL, P.K. Subban, St. Louis Blues

NASHVILLE  – The Black Girl Hockey Club got a heaping helping of Southern hockey hospitality over the weekend.

The group of female hockey fans of color took in the Nashville Predators-St. Louis Blues matinee Sunday followed by the 2019 National Women’s Hockey League All-Star Game at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban met with the Black Girl Hockey Club, which gathered for the Predators game against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

The Preds and the NWHL gave BGHC members and supporters the ya’ll come treatment.  The Predators hosted a Saturday morning skating session for the group on Bridgestone Arena ice and showed Canadian filmmaker Damon Kwame Mason’s award-winning “Soul on Ice, Past, Present & Future” black hockey history documentary on the stadium’s Jumbotron.

BGHC members met Predators defenseman P.K. Subban after the Blues 5-4 win over Nashville. The game’s outcome didn’t diminish Subban’s graciousness in posing for pictures and chatting with the group.

The NWHL reserved a prime seating spot for BGHC at the All-Star game’s skills competition which was held Saturday at a packed Ford Ice Center, the Predators’ practice facility.

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban talks with Black Girl Hockey Club member Eunice Artis while signing the T-shirt of her son, Isaiah Artis.

The women watched Buffalo Beauts defender Blake Bolden win the hardest shot contest by launching an 80-miles-per-hour slap shot. Bolden, the only black woman on the two NWHL All-Star squads, said she was pumped by the BGHC presence.

“It’s so great, I definitely noticed when my name was called you guys were hollering, it made me feel so good,” Bolden, who has 1 goal and 7 assists in 13 games with Buffalo this season, told the group after the competition. “I appreciate you guys so much being there.”

Blake Bolden, a defender with the NWHL’s Buffalo Beauts shares a moment with Black Girl Hockey Club member Rayla Wilkes, 6, at the 2019 NWHL All-Star Game skills competition Saturday in Nashville.

Nearly three dozen women of color, their families and friends, journeyed from California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Washington, D.C., and Georgia to attend the weekend festivities and bask in the soul sisterhood of hockey fandom.

The Black Girl Hockey Club was founded by Renee Hess, a Riverside, California, woman who sought to gather a critical mass of women of color who, like her, are interested in hockey but might be hesitant to attend games in stadiums where minority fans are truly a minority.

A dapper Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban signs autographs and poses for pictures with the Black Girl Hockey Club in Smashville Sunday afternoon.

“The whole reason I wanted to come to Nashville was to see the girls play,” Hess said of the NWHL players. “I’ve seen them on video, but never live, so this is really cool. They’re fast, they’re good, I got to see some (Olympic) gold medalists skate today, I mean that’s really awesome.”

Buffalo Beauts defender Blake Bolden, back, and members of the Black Girl Hockey Club after Bolden won the hardest shot competition at the 2019 NWHL All-Star Game festivities in Nashville.

Lisa Ramos drove nine hours from Biloxi, Mississippi, to join the BGHC meet-up in Nashville. She said the drive was no sweat since she and her husband sometimes drive to Canada see her son,  defenseman Ayodele Adeniye, play for the Carleton Place Canadians, a Junior A team in the Central Canada Hockey League.

Adeniye has committed to play hockey next season for the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, an NCAA Division I team in the  Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

“It’s been great getting together with other black female hockey fans and just enjoy the sport, talk about the sport, find out how they came to the sport of hockey – everybody came through different avenues,” Ramos said.

@CIHockeyClub represented when I met PK. Had an incredible weekend with @BlackGirlHockey! Thank you so much @BlackGirlHockey, @soulonicemovie and @ColorOfHockey for hosting a phenomenal experience!!! pic.twitter.com/LO6LleuXu0

— Lisa Ramos (@hkymom99) February 10, 2019

Eunice Artis and her teenage son, Isaiah Artis, said they “felt at home” attending the NWHL events and the Predators game. They ventured to Nashville from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.

“It’s nice to see a lot of people of color enjoying hockey,” Eunice Artis said. “You go to hockey games, whether it’s my son playing or a professional games, and literally you’re the only person there or you’re one of two people there. I just feel there’s unity here and I feel at home. It was great seeing the women play, especially a professional woman of color (Bolden) bringing it home.”

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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‘Old Man’ Subban delivers holiday cheer to those in need in Nashville and Montreal

23 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Nashville Predators, P.K. Subban, The Montreal Children's Hospital

It wouldn’t be the holiday season without a P.K. Subban surprise.

The Nashville Predators‘ All Star defenseman went old school – or should we say old man –  again to help spread some holiday joy in Nashville. and of course, to his old friends at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

It's holiday surprise year four, and I – or shall I say 'Eddie' – is back for much more! A big thank you to @rjosi90 @ChefAntonioPark @PredsNHL @HopitalChildren and all of the other friends who helped make this year happen!! Enjoy folks, and happy holidays!! pic.twitter.com/2sOIvI6dRx

— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) December 22, 2017

Subban is enjoying a fine 2017-18 season in Nashville with 7 goals and 17 assists in 34 games. He’s sixth in the NHL in goals among defensemen and tenth in overall scoring – the combination of goals and assists – among the league’s blue-liners.

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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Jordan Subban traded as P.K. and Malcolm Subban face each other for the first time in the NHL

08 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Jordan Subban, Los Angeles Kings, Malcolm Subban, Nashville Predators, P.K. Subban, Vegas Golden Knights

Change has been good for two Subbans. Will it be good for a third?

Defenseman Jordan Subban goes from Canucks to Kings.

Defenseman Jordan Subban, who was a Vancouver Canucks, 2013 fourth-round draft pick, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings Friday for forward Nic Dowd.

Jordan, an undersized blue’liner at 5-foot-9, 185-pounds, had spent most of the last three seasons playing for the Utica Comets, the Canuck’s American Hockey League affiliate. He tallied 5 assists in 16 games for the Comets.

He was an offensive dynamo for Utica last season, finishing sixth on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 20 assists in 65 games. He was seventeenth in scoring among all AHL defensemen.

Overall, Subban has totaled 27 goals, 50 assists and 87 penalty minutes in 148 regular season games in the AHL.

Embed from Getty Images

Jordan becomes the second Subban brother to relocate in the 2017-18 hockey season. Goaltender Malcolm Subban,  a Boston Bruins 2014 first-round draft pick, was snatched up by the Vegas Golden Knights after the Bruins placed him on waivers in October.

Embed from Getty Images

Before the move, Malcolm was viewed by some as a player with unfulfilled potential. He appeared in 32 games for the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL farm team, and posted an 11-14-1 record with a 2.41 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

Since his shift to the desert, Malcolm has become an integral part of the feel-good story that is the Golden Knights inaugural season.  He’s filled in admirably  since after starter Marc-Andre Fleury suffered an injury.

The acrobatic Subban has a 6-2 record in eight games with a 2.27 goals-against average – 10th-best among NHL goalies – and a .923 save percentage.

MALCOLM SUBBAN WAS PUT ON WAIVERS? WHAT A SAVE, HOLY! IS THIS THE SAVE OF THE WEEK OR WHAT? pic.twitter.com/O04zRQx6mg

— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) November 29, 2017

The NHL rookie netminder faced one his biggest tests Friday night – older brother P.K. Subban and his Nashville Predators. Malcolm made 41 saves and registered a shootout shut out against Nashville in a dramatic 4-3 Golden Knights win.

The contest at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena was the first time the brothers played against each other in an NHL regular season game. Proud papa Karl Subban, was in attendance.

#Howwedidit …Thank You NHL, Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators! It all started with a dream. pic.twitter.com/cWicq9ybpA

— Karl Subban (@SubbanKarl) December 9, 2017

The hockey world was stunned when P.K., a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Predators in June 2016 for Nashville defenseman Shea Weber.

PK Subban on facing Malcolm Subban for the first time tonight. pic.twitter.com/81Kyn95vvR

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) December 8, 2017

Montreal’s brain trust felt Weber was a more-reliable blue-liner and a missing piece to their Stanley Cup Final puzzle than the flashier Subban.

Nashville went on to play the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Stanley Cup last season while the Canadiens lost to the New York Rangers in six games in the playoff’s Eastern Conference quarter final.

Embed from Getty Images

P.K. is the Predators’ sixth-leading scorer with 4 goals and 14 assists in 28 games so far this season. He’s 15th in scoring among NHL defensemen. Weber is 22nd among the league’s blue-liners with 6 goals and 10 assists in 23 games.

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

 

 

 

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Malcolm Subban gets first NHL win – against the team that drafted him

16 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Boston Bruins, Malcolm Subban, P.K. Subban, Providence Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights

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P.K. Subban’s dad talks hockey, life and catfish on new Color of Hockey podcast

03 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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"How We Did It", Boston Bruins, Jordan Subban, Karl Subban, Malcolm Subban, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, P.K. Subban, Vancouver Canucks

Karl Subban thought he was done.

The proud papa of three black professional hockey players thought he was finished writing his first book, “How We Did It, The Subban Family Plan For Success In Hockey, School And Life.”

Then The Trade happened.

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban.

The Montreal Canadiens swapped All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators straight-up for All-Star defenseman Shea Weber.

The move shocked the hockey world, helped guide the Predators to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance, and sent Karl Subban scrambling to his computer to write another chapter for his book.

“Yeah, I had to write it,” Karl told me. “It was unbelievable. It was an unbelievable run to the Stanley Cup Final. I’ve never been through that before. It took me a long time to believe that we were there.”

The elder Subban  talks about his book, The Trade, the Predators’ Stanley Cup run, racism, and what it’s like raising three very talented hockey players in the first episode of the Color of Hockey podcast.

Our new podcast, like this blog, will tell the story of the history and growing impact of people of color in ice hockey at all levels and all aspects of the game – on the ice, off the ice, behind the bench, in the broadcast booth, and in the front office, wherever.

And what better lead-off guest than Karl, father of Pernell Karl (P.K.);  Malcolm, a goaltender and Boston Bruins 2012 first round draft pick who was waived by the B’s this week and claimed by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights; and Jordan, a 2013 Vancouver Canucks fourth-round draft pick who’s a defenseman for the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ American Hockey League franchise in Upstate New York.

P.K. tallied 10 goals and 30 assists in 66 games in his first season in Nashville. He had 2 goals and 10 assists in 22 playoff games.

Malcolm compiled an 11-14-5 record in 32 games for the Providence Bruins and posted a 2.41 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. He was winless in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage.

Jordan notched 16 goals and 20 assists in 65 regular season games last season for Utica. He had 2 goals and an assist in four AHL playoff contests.

Providence Bruins goaltender Malcolm Subban looks to work his way to the NHL (Photo/Alan Sullivan).

True to its title, “How We Did It” gives insight to how Karl and Maria Subban guided their boys through various levels of hockey – from lacing on their first pair of skates skates to hearing their names called at National Hockey League drafts.

“The African proverb, I use it in the book, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,'” Karl told me. “It also takes a village to raise an NHLer…to grow their potential. Maria and I can’t stand there and say ‘Look at us, we did it all by ourselves.'”

At 5-foot-9, defenseman Jordan Subban is out to prove that he belongs with big brother P.K. in the NHL (Photo/Lindsay A. Mogul/Utica Comets).

But the book is also deals with immigration – Karl’s family moved to Canada from Jamaica and Maria’s from Montserrat – education, and the ugly realities of racism, an issue that P.K. first confronted when he was an 8 year old playing minor hockey in Toronto.

It’s a lesson that Karl, a semi-retired Toronto public school principal, was sadden that his son learned so early.

“He came out of the dressing room crying. He said a boy on the ice called him the N-word,” Karl writes in the book. “We said there was no need to cry because it was only a word. We probably said something about ‘sticks and stones.’ There weren’t too many kids playing who looked like P.K., but now someone had communicated it to him in a way he didn’t like.”

He’s endured racist taunts and attitudes as a pro, most notably during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs when so-called Bruins unleashed a torrent of hateful emails and social media posts after he scored two goals, including the double-overtime winner.

Embed from Getty Images

When confronted with racist ugliness, Karl says P.K. follows a bit of advice that he gave him: Don’t let them win.

“I’ve told P.K. it’s vital to change the channel, because if you ruminate over it, you can’t free yourself from it,” the elder Subban writes. “It does take practice, though – and P.K. has had a lot of practice.”

Karl had to change the channel when the Canadiens traded P.K.. Montreal was Karl’s team ever since he was a boy growing up in Sudbury, Ontario, watching the Canadiens’ French broadcast on TV, and dreaming of being Habs goaltender Ken Dryden.

As an adult, he thought there was nothing like seeing a game in hockey-mad Montreal. Then came Nashville.

“I didn’t think there was anything better until I got to Nashville, and then I said ‘Wow!'” he told me. “It’s so different and a great experience. It’s the music there, the environment. After the game, the honky tonks, the bars, the food, I love country music. And then we went on that (Stanley Cup) run, and the city, which is alive anyway 24/7, it was taken to another level.”

But Karl still can’t quite get used to what’s becoming a tradition in Nashville: fans tossing catfish onto the Bridgestone Arena ice.

“I just want to eat those catfish,” he told me. “There’s a restaurant where I go, they have this catfish thing and I love it. Like, I’m saying ‘please don’t throw them on the ice. Can you just give them to that restaurant I go to and have them prepare it the way they prepare it there.”

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey. Download the Color of Hockey podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

 

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‘Soul on Ice’ documentary to make London debut for U.K.’s Black History Month

04 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Charles Draces, Damon Kwame Mason, David Clarke, English Ice Hockey Association, Ice Hockey UK, Nottingham Panthers, P.K. Subban, Soul on Ice, Trevor Daley

“Soul on Ice, Past, Present and Future,” the award-winning black hockey history documentary, is heading to London in October as part of the United Kingdom’s Black History Month celebration.

Canadian filmmaker Damon Kwame Mason’s hockey labor of love is scheduled to be screened at London’s Picturehouse Central on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 9 p.m. The screenings will be followed by question and answer sessions with Mason.

As part of the Ourscreen program, advance tickets are sold for the two events. Tickets can be purchased online through the Ourscreen website linked here.

“Soul on Ice Past, Present and Future” chronicles the joy and the pain experienced by black players,  from members of the ground-breaking Colored Hockey League in the Canadian Maritimes from 1895 to 1925 to the stars skating on National Hockey League’s 31 teams.

Some familiar faces  – past and present – share their hockey stories: Philadelphia Flyers  All-Star forward Wayne Simmonds, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley, San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward, Edmonton Oilers goaltending great Grant Fuhr, Buffalo Sabres/Quebec Nordiques/New York Rangers sniper Tony McKegney, and former Sabres/Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy Val James, the NHL’s first black player born in the United States.

Filmmaker Damon Kwame Mason (right) talks hockey with Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley in “Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future.”

Mason devoted nearly four years and spent about $200,000 of mostly his own money to make the film. It won a People’s Choice Award at the Edmonton International Film Festival  in October 2015.

The NHL was so impressed by “Soul on Ice’s” educational and uplifting message that it hosted the film’s U.S. premiere in Washington in January 2016 and aired it on the NHL Network in February 2016 to commemorate U.S. Black History Month.

Vancouver Canucks defensive prospect Jordan Subban, left, prepares parents Karl and Maria for their close-ups in “Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future.” Karl and Maria are also the parents of Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and Boston Bruins goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban.

Charles Dacres, a director for the English Ice Hockey Association, and a board member for Ice Hockey UK, said Mason’s film is perfect viewing for the U.K.’s Black History Month.

“It’s about doing some myth-breaking. You look at other sports where black athletes are underrepresented, and it’s a struggle to try to encourage young black people to get into them,” Dacres told me recently. “The parents will say ‘Why are you bothering the kids.’ And the kid’s mates will say ‘Hockey’s not the sport for you, black guys don’t skate.’ It’s about showing that we have some pioneers and some very strong role models that actually give people and young children something to work toward and aspire to.”

Charles Dacres, left, a director for the English Ice Hockey Association, says showing “Soul on Ice, Past, Present and Future” in London will help shatter the myth that black people don’t participate in certain sports (Phtoto/Courtesy Charles Dacres).

The movie is also deeply personal for Dacres, who endured racial slurs in his younger days when he played with the Bradford Bulldogs.

“They just kind of said ‘Just get on with it, mate, just play the game and get on with it,'” Dacres recalled the reaction to the slurs. “Today, we don’t need to do that. We can challenge that poor negative behavior but we can do that by showing some positive role models.”

Although there are few hockey players of color in the United Kingdom, they have made their presence felt.

Hilton Ruggles was one of the most prolific scorers in British hockey history in a career that spanned from the late 1980s to the mid-2000s.

Hilton Ruggles, a Montreal-born left wing, tallied 1,096 goals, 929 assists and 2,200 penalty minutes in 946 games in the British Hockey League, British Ice Hockey Superleague, and the United Kingdom’s Elite Ice Hockey League. Ruggles was inducted into the UK Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Forward David Clarke is the popular face of the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers.

He’s one of the United Kingdom’s most-decorated players, having won an EIHL championship, an International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Gold Medal in Division D1B in 2016-17, and scoring more goals than any other British-born player in the EIHL in 2006-07, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14.

Clarke, a member of Great Britain’s national team, has notched 289 goals and 238 assists in 553 EIHL games.

Nottingham Panthers forward David Clarke is also a mainstay for Great Britain’s national hockey team (Photo/Dean Woolley).

And several talented black NHL players have found their way across the pond to play. Rumun Ndur, a Nigerian-born defenseman, played for the Sabres and Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets) before skating for the EIHL’s Coventry Blaze and Clarke’s Panthers in Nottingham.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs right wing John Craighead , an American, played for the Panthers from 2003 to 2005.  Anthony Stewart, a  Canadian right wing who played for the Thrashers, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, suited up for the Panthers in 2012-13 during the NHL’s player lockout that season.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘How You Like Me Now?’ P.K. Subban plays on while Montreal is out of playoffs

23 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

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Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, P.K. Subban, She Weber, Stanley Cup Playoffs

Let us turn to the hockey sage Kool Moe Dee for the right words while discussing Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban,  the Montreal Canadiens, and the Habs’ first-round exit from the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban.

A song by Dee – or is it Mr. Moe Dee? –  probably best sums up how Subban must have felt after watching the Canadiens – his former employer – burp up a two-game-to-one series lead and suffer a 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers Saturday that ousted the Habs from the playoffs:

“How You Like Me Now?”

Last summer, Subban was the poster boy for Montreal’s dysfunction – the Habs’ failure to make the playoffs (seeming to forget that All-World goaltender Carey Price only appeared in 12 games in 2015-16 season due to injury), rumored unrest in the locker room, and the inability of the coach to execute his master plan to lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup.

Subban was deemed by the Canadiens’ organ-i-zation to be too flamboyant, too selfish, too headstrong, too irresponsible defensively to be trusted.

So they shipped him to Nashville in June for defenseman Shea Weber in a move that then-Head Coach Michel Therrien proclaimed made the Canadiens “a better team now.”

So how’d it work out?  The Habs fired Therrien in February after the team faded following a 13-1-1 start to the 2016-17 season. Montreal finished atop the National Hockey League’s  Atlantic Conference with a 47-26-9 record and Cup expectations were high, particularly after the trade and Therrien’s dismissal. Then came the Rangers.

Embed from Getty Images

 

As for the trade participants, Weber had a good year in Montreal, scoring 17 goals and 25 assists in 78 games. Subban had an injury-plagued regular season that limited him to 10 goals and 30 assists in 66 games. Subban played 12 fewer games than Weber but scored 40 points to Weber’s 42.

But the bottom line stat for most fans is that Subban and the Predators are still in the playoffs. Weber and the Canadiens aren’t after making what was sold as a “win now” trade.

While Montreal players head to the golf course, Subban and the Predators face the St. Louis Blues in Round Two of the playoffs.

Nashville’s four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks was so defensively dominant that Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne tallied as many points – 2 – as All-Star snipers Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews , who were the Chicago’s top scorers in the series.

Revenge is as sweet as the ice tea served cold south of the Mason-Dixon line, and Subban fans are basking in Montreal’s playoff misfortune. Cue Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.”

PK Subban would have scored there. pic.twitter.com/qVVRsZEzLC

— MetSZN Road Warrior (@IslesRW) April 13, 2017

Lets go live to PK subban pic.twitter.com/3daOvaLdFg

— Bailey (@Bailoading) April 23, 2017

@PKSubban1 this morning when he's off to the 2nd round & @CanadiensMTL are not #PKSubban #MTLvsNYR #Predators pic.twitter.com/tlnPt98fZM

— Jason (@JHagholm1) April 23, 2017

If y'all weren't expecting PK Subban tweets after Preds swept and Habs died in game 6 of round 1, then I don't know why y'all even twitter.

— Mimi (@MimiLeMeow) April 23, 2017

People do understand now that PK Subban's wasn't the reason of #Habs failure. Because trading him didn't change a thing. Even with Price.

— Edberg_Subban (@taphengsai) April 23, 2017

every available photo of P.K. Subban looks like someone just told him Shea Weber's grit & leadership will lead the Habs to the promised land pic.twitter.com/bDubTaPlPm

— Justin Morissette (@JustinMoris) April 23, 2017

We bring you a live look in at P K Subban. pic.twitter.com/AXHcrPMQXh

— FlashScore.ca (@FlashScoreCA) April 23, 2017

@larsellers Nope but happy subban is seeing a second round after everything he's been through 🙌🏼😏

— mellebellexo (@HabsGirl_xo) April 23, 2017

Follow the Color of Hockey on Facebook and Twitter @ColorOfHockey

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How diverse is the NHL? Take a look

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Alec Martinez, Auston Matthews, Dustin Byfuglien, Joel Ward, P.K. Subban, Trevor Daley

They hail from different places and backgrounds. They’re of different races, ethnic groups, and faiths. But put a stick in their hands and skates on their feet, they’re all the same: hockey players.

It’s fun writing about the history and growing impact of people of color in hockey, but frustrating at the same time. A lot of people still don’t realize how diverse the sport is becoming, how the face of hockey is changing.

Seeing is believing, so here are some of the players of color who were on the rosters of National Hockey League teams when the 2016-17 season opened last week. If you have any questions about the players, take a deeper dive into this blog for some of their stories.

 

 Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Dustin Byfuglien, D, Winnipeg Jets

Dustin Byfuglien, D, Winnipeg Jets

Kyle Okposo, F, Buffalo Sabres

Kyle Okposo, F, Buffalo Sabres

Nazem Kadri, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Nazem Kadri, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

 J.T. Brown, F, Tampa Bay Lightning

J.T. Brown, F, Tampa Bay Lightning

 Joel Ward, F, San Jose Sharks

Joel Ward, F, San Jose Sharks

Nail Yakupov, F, St. Louis Blues

Nail Yakupov, F, St. Louis Blues

Ryan Reaves, F, St. Louis Blues

Ryan Reaves, F, St. Louis Blues

 Trevor Daley, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Trevor Daley, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Wayne Simmonds, F, Philadelphia Flyers

Wayne Simmonds, F, Philadelphia Flyers

 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, F, Philadelphia Flyers

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, F, Philadelphia Flyers

Mika Zibanejad, F, New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad, F, New York Rangers

Devante Smith-Pelly, F, New Jersey Devils

Devante Smith-Pelly, F, New Jersey Devils

P.K. Subban, D, Nashville Predators

P.K. Subban, D, Nashville Predators

Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens

Al Montoya, G, Montreal Canadiens

Al Montoya, G, Montreal Canadiens

Chris Stewart, F, Minnesota Wild

Chris Stewart, F, Minnesota Wild

Matt Dumba, D, Minnesota Wild

Matt Dumba, D, Minnesota Wild

Jordan Nolan, F, Los Angeles Kings

Jordan Nolan, F, Los Angeles Kings

 Alec Martinez, D, Los Angeles Kings

Alec Martinez, D, Los Angeles Kings

Johnny Oduya, D, Dallas Stars

Johnny Oduya, D, Dallas Stars

Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers

Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers

 Brandon Saad, F, Columbus Blue Jackets

Brandon Saad, F, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Seth Jones, D, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Jordan Tootoo, F, Chicago Blackhawks.

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Anthony Duclair, forward, Arizona Coyotes.

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Jarome Iginla, F, Colorado Avalanche

Evander Kane, F, Buffalo Sabres.

Evander Kane, F, Buffalo Sabres.

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P.K. Subban talks the Habs, the trade, Montreal and Nashville

14 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

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Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, P.K. Subban

Montreal Canadiens Headshots

Canada’s Sportsnet spent some quality time  this week talking with defenseman P.K. Subban,  who was surprisingly traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Nashville Predators last month.

Subban gave the sports network his first extensive comments about the trade, and addresses some of the questions and rumors swirling about why he was abruptly dealt. Give the two-part interview a look.

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P.K. Subban moves from Montreal to the Music City in shocking trade

30 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by William Douglas in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

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Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, P.K. Subban, Peter Laviolette, Shea Weber

Two summers ago, the Montreal Canadiens showed defenseman P.K. Subban the money, signing him to an eight-year $72 million deal. Wednesday, the Habs showed him the door.

Damn, what happened?

A Hab no more. Defenseman P.K. Subban heads to the Nashville Predators in a surprising trade.

A Hab no more. Defenseman P.K. Subban heads to the Nashville Predators in a surprising trade.

Either the Canadiens front office lost its mind or lost its patience and dealt fan-favorite Subban, the 2013 Norris Trophy winner as the National Hockey League’s best defenseman, straight-up for All-Star D-man Shea Weber.

Montreal General Manager Marc Bergevin maintained that the swap of the 27-year-old Subban for the 30-year-old Weber will help the Canadiens move from a non-playoff-appearing 38-38-6 team to an eventual Stanley Cup contender.

“We completed today an important transaction which I am convinced will make the Canadiens a better team,” the general manager said.”In Shea Weber, we get a top rated NHL defenseman with tremendous leadership, and a player who will improve our defensive group as well as our power play for many years to come. Shea Weber led all NHL defensemen last season with 14 power play goals. He is a complete rearguard with impressive size and a powerful shot. P.K. Subban is a special and very talented player. He provided the Canadiens organization with strong performances on the ice and generous commitment in the community. I wish him the best of luck with the Predators.”

Hmmm, so much to decode here. But you don’t need to

D-man Shea Weber goes to Montreal from Nashville for Subban.

D-man Shea Weber goes to Montreal from Nashville for Subban.

be Luther, President Barack Obama’s fictional anger translator from “Key & Peele,” to know that Bergevin’s statement was a stinging Gordie Howe backhand aimed right at Subban.

In praising Weber, Bergevin took not-so-veiled digs at Subban’s leadership qualities,

his ability to play well with others, and his overall game on the blue line.

It’s no secret that Subban’s flamboyant, high-risk playing style drove Canadiens Head Coach Michel Therrien nuts at times. And there were rumblings of discontent among some Habs players with Subban this season.

And, of course, the trade is the latest chapter in the Great P.K. Subban Debate. Several members of the hockey establishment argue that his game is more style than substance and some old school hockey heads complain that he’s too colorful a personality.

Subban supporters say his swashbuckling playing style and larger-than-life personality have been good for the game. They argue that he’s been disrespected by the hockey intelligentsia for not fitting the cookie-cutter mold of what an NHLer should be. Some question whether race is a factor.

Subban’s been on the receiving end of several high-profile snubs. Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock, when he coached the Gold Medal-winning Canadian men’s hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, played Subban for only 11 minutes – all in one game.

This year, Hockey Canada didn’t include him om the roster for the Canadian squad that will compete in the World Cup of Hockey in September.

Subban’s Canadiens teammates passed him over last season to be the team’s nominee for the NHL’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy – presented to the player who exhibits leadership on and off the ice and has contributed to the community – despite the fact that he pledged $10 million to Montreal’s Children’s Hospital, the biggest philanthropic commitment by any athlete in Canadian history.

BREAKING NEWS: @PKSubban1 responds after being traded from the Canadiens to the Predators.https://t.co/nQjW6gnpiO

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) June 29, 2016

Subban seemed to take Wednesday’s trade in the same fluid stride he’s taken the previous slights. He told Nashville reporters via conference call Wednesday that “Right now, I’m going to a team that wants me” He added that he felt “a whole lot closer” to winning a Stanley Cup with Nashville than he did in Montreal.

“On the business side of things, the Montreal Canadiens paid me a lot of money two years ago to do what I do for a living,” he said. “At the end of the day I just wanted to come in and do my job. But obviously right now I’m going to a team that wants me and the Montreal Canadiens felt that they had to take it down a different path.”

Some key 2015-16 statistics don’t show much space between Weber and Subban. Weber was ninth among NHL defensemen in scoring with 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points in 78 games. He was third on the Predators in scoring.

Subban  was 12th among  the league’s defensemen, matching Weber’s 51 points on 6 goals and 45 assists in an injury-plagued 68 games. He was Montreal’s fourth-leading scorer last season.

Embed from Getty Images

 

Weber, touted as the more defensively responsible blue liner, had a plus-minus rating of minus-7. Subban was a plus-4.

Weber averaged 25:12 minutes per game and 29.9 shifts per game. Subban logged an average of 26:21 minutes per game and 28.3 shifts per game.

Weber was the more effective power play scorer – Bergevin’s main point – with 14 goals compared to Subban’s 2 in 2015-16. Neither player had a game-winning goal last season.

Subban and Weber have one other thing in common. Neither has been able in recent seasons to get their teams over the hump to the Stanley Cup Final.

Needless to say, the trade hasn’t gone down well with hockey fans in and out of Montreal. A New York Post headline read “P.K. Subban Trade is Canadiens Purging NHL’s Biggest Persona.”

The Montreal Gazette quotes fans calling the trade “Ridiculous,” “insane,” “a disgrace.” Welcome to Montreal, Shea Weber.

So, on the same date that #Habs traded Chris Chelios 26 years ago, they ship away PK Subban. We know how the Chelios trade turned out.

— Szymon Szemberg (@Sz1909_Szemberg) June 29, 2016

PK Subban is going to play his home games in Nashville, Tennessee and maybe I am moving to Nashville, Tennessee IDK who knows

— Travis Hughes (@TravisSBN) June 29, 2016

WHAT?! https://t.co/BWA1UcjyCy

— Isaiah Mustafa (@isaiahmustafa) June 29, 2016

Holy shit PK Subban got traded straight up for Shea Weber!

— Georges Laraque (@GeorgesLaraque) June 29, 2016

Jack Todd: Subban's brash, confident style was never a fit with Habs https://t.co/GHn68i0oKy

— Montreal Gazette (@mtlgazette) June 30, 2016

With Subban in the fold,  the Predators are taking a different approach that the team hopes will lead to a Stanley Cup. Nashville historically was a defense-first team under Head Coach Barry Trotz.

Trotz was replaced two seasons ago by Peter Laviolette, who likes his defenseman to be able to move the puck quickly out of their zone and initiate offense – either through pinpoint passes or skating.

Though Laviolette is a no-nonsense coach in the Therrien mold, Subban should thrive in Laviolette’s system.

“In P.K., when people might talk about him, it’ll be his skating, the fact that he can transport the puck himself, the fact that he can distribute the puck, he’s constantly in motion,” Laviolette said. “He has worn a letter in the National Hockey League, was being considered for captain of the Montreal Canadiens, so there’s leadership quality there as well.”

In addition to his skating ability and 100-mph-plus slap shot from the point, Subban brings something to the Predators that the franchise has never had – star power, someone who can put butts in seats.

Though Subban was enormously  popular among fans in Montreal he was never the face of the franchise, not with all-world goaltender Carey Price and U.S.-born team captain Max Pacioretty there.

He’s poised to be The Man in Nashville.

“P.K. Subban is an elite offensive defenseman with tremendous skill and contagious energy that makes the Nashville Predators a better team now and into the future,” said Nashville GM David Poile. “Superstar defensemen of his caliber are a rare commodity, and we are thrilled to add him to the organization.”

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