How Many Black People Are In the NHL?

How many black people are in the NHL?

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 member clubs: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. As of the 2016–17 season, the NHL has 2626 players from 16 different countries. Of those 2626 players, 10 percent are black. That’s 262 black players in the NHL.

Introduction

According to a recent report by the National Hockey League, the number of black players in the NHL has increased significantly over the past few years. In fact, black players now make up nearly 10 percent of the league’s total player pool. This is a significant increase from just a few years ago, when black players made up less than five percent of the NHL’s total player pool.

The increase in black players in the NHL is part of a larger trend of diversity in the league. In recent years, the NHL has seen increases in the number of players from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years, as the league continues to grow and evolve.

History of black players in the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league. The NHL was established in 1917. The league was created to replace the National Hockey Association (NHA). The NHA was dissolved because of a disagreement between the owners of the NHA’s four teams. The first black player in the NHL was Willie O’Ree. O’Ree played his first game with the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958.

First black player in the NHL

Willie O’Ree is widely recognized as the first black player in the National Hockey League. He made his debut with the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens. Though he only played 45 games over parts of two seasons with the Bruins, his impact was far-reaching and lasting.

In 1998, O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the “Player” category, and in 2018 he received the Order of Canada—the country’s second highest civilian honor—for his contributions to increasing racial diversity in hockey. His jersey number, 22, has been retired by both the Bruins and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Other black players followed in O’Ree’s footsteps, including Mike Marson (Washington Capitals), Bill Riley (Minnesota North Stars), and Craig Simpson (Edmonton Oilers). But it wasn’t until 1993 that another black player made his NHL debut: goaltender Grant Fuhr with the Buffalo Sabres.

The “Original Six” era

In the NHL’s early years, black players were very rare. The league was exclusively white until 1947, when Willie O’Ree broke the color barrier with the Boston Bruins. O’Ree went on to play 45 games with the Bruins over two seasons.

O’Ree was followed by a small handful of other black players in the 1950s and 1960s, including Herb Carnegie, Mike Marson and Tony McKegney. But it wasn’t until 1974 that another black player made his debut in the NHL: Valeri Kharlamov of the Soviet Union.

Kharlamov’s debut marked the start of a new era for black players in the NHL. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of African-American and Canadian-born black players began to make their mark on the league. Warren Woytowich, Sandy McCarthy, Raymond Bourque and Grant Fuhr were all drafted in the first round of their respective drafts, while Mike Gartner and Chris Chelios became superstars in the 1980s.

Today, black players are an integral part of the NHL. While there is no single country or region that produces more black NHL players than any other, Canada remains a leading source of talent. Players like Jarome Iginla, Jason Spezza and Shane Doan are among the best in the game today, while African-Americans like Dustin Byfuglien and Wayne Simmonds are quickly becoming household names.

Expansion era

In the 1967 NHL expansion, six new teams were added to double the size of the league, and the number of black players increased to 13 with the additions of Mike Walton, Willie O’Ree, and Reggie Leach. With more African Americans playing in the NHL, stereotyping became an issue. In 1975, Darryl Sittler set a Toronto Maple Leafs franchise record by scoring ten points in one game against the Boston Bruins. When impersonating Sittler on Hockey Night in Canada, comedian Mickacea who was black, was told not to do so because “blacks can’t skate”.

The current state of black players in the NHL

Percentage of black players in the NHL

According to a recent study, the NHL is currently made up of approximately 1.8% black players. This number has remained relatively steady for the past few years, with a slight increase from 1.6% in 2014. The NHL is not alone in its lack of diversity, as other professional sports leagues in North America have similarly low percentages of black athletes. While the NHL has made some efforts to address this issue, such as partnering with You Can Play to promote inclusion in hockey, there is still much room for improvement.

There are a number of possible explanations for the low percentage of black players in the NHL. One possibility is that there simply aren’t many black hockey players to choose from. Studies have shown that while black children make up approximately 13% of the population in Canada (the country with the most NHL teams), they only account for 3-4% of youth hockey players. This suggests that there is a smaller pool of potential black NHL players to choose from compared to other groups.

Another explanation for the low percentage of black players in the NHL could be racism and discrimination within the league itself. Studies have found that black athletes face more discrimination than their white counterparts both in terms of how they are treated by fans and media and in terms of opportunities and compensation. It’s possible that these factors discourage black athletes from pursuing careers in professional hockey or make them more likely to retire early from the sport.

The low percentage of black players in the NHL is an issue that needs to be addressed by the league and by society as a whole. Efforts should be made to increase participation by black youth in hockey so that there are more potential NHL players to choose from in the future. Additionally, more needs to be done to combat racism and discrimination within the league so that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed at the highest level of competition.

Notable black NHL players

There have been black players in the National Hockey League (NHL) since Willie O’Ree broke the color barrier in 1958. While the league has never been composed of more than a tiny fraction of black players, they have been represented at all levels of the game, from Stanley Cup winners to MVPs and Hall of Famers.

A handful of black players have enjoyed breakout seasons in recent years, led by Evander Kane of the Buffalo Sabres and P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens. With the increasing visibility of black players in the NHL, many are hopeful that more young black players will be inspired to take up the sport.

Some notable black NHL players include:

-Willie O’Ree: The first black player in the NHL, he played for the Boston Bruins from 1958 to 1961.
-Tony McKegney: The first black player to score 30 goals in an NHL season, he played for several teams during his 14-year career.
-Grant Fuhr: A member of the famed ” Edmonton Oilers dynasty” of the 1980s, he won five Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
-Jarome Iginla: One of the most prolific goal scorers of his generation, he played for several teams during his 20-year career and is currently a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although the number of black players in the NHL is still relatively small, it has been increasing steadily over the past few years. With more black players making it to the NHL, it is likely that the trend will continue in the future.