How Many Black Players Are in the NHL?

Many people are curious about the racial makeup of the NHL. While the league is majority white, there are a significant number of black players as well. Here’s a look at the percentage of black players in the NHL.

Introduction

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams, of which 7 are located in Canada and 23 in the United States. The NHL is widely considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American major professional sports leagues.

Of the 705 players currently playing in the NHL, 26 are black. This is 3.7% of the league, which is slightly higher than the percentage of blacks in the general population of North America, which is 3.5%. The majority of black NHL players (17) are from Canada, while 9 are from the United States.

The History of Black Players in the NHL

Though the National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917, the league did not see its first black player until Willie O’Ree broke the color barrier in 1958. Since then, the NHL has seen a limited number of black players suit up for its teams. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at the history of black players in the NHL.

The first black player in the NHL: Willie O’Ree

Black history in the NHL dates back to the league’s inaugural season in 1917, when Dennis Banks became the first black player to suit up for a game. Willie O’Ree would eventually make history as the first black player to score an NHL goal and the first to play in an All-Star Game.

Since those early days, hundreds of black players have followed in Banks and O’Ree’s footsteps and made their mark on the NHL. In commemorating Black History Month, we’re taking a look at some of the most notable black players in NHL history.

Willie O’Ree: The Jackie Robinson of hockey
Willie O’Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958, more than four decades after Banks played his first game. It would be another two years before O’Ree scored his first NHL goal, but he made an immediate impact on the league.

O’Ree wasn’t just the first black player to score an NHL goal, he was also the first to play in an All-Star Game (in 1961) and he went on to play 21 seasons in the minor leagues. His legacy, however, extends far beyond his on-ice accomplishments.

O’Ree is widely regarded as the “Jackie Robinson of hockey” for breaking down racial barriers in the sport. His influence can still be felt today as he works as a youth development ambassador for the NHL and works to grow the game of hockey around the world.

The “Gretzky Effect”

When Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, it had a profound effect on the game of hockey. Not only did Gretzky help put the Kings on the map, he also helped increase the popularity of hockey in California and throughout the United States. In addition, Gretzky’s arrival in Los Angeles coincided with an increase in the number of black players in the NHL.

Prior to Gretzky’s trade to Los Angeles, there were only 23 black players in the NHL. But by 2001, that number had grown to 94. What caused this increase? Many experts believe it was the “Gretzky Effect.” When young black kids saw that a player like Gretzky (who was not African-American) could succeed at the highest level of hockey, they realized that skin color was not a barrier to success in the sport.

The “Gretzky Effect” has also been credited with helping to break down racial barriers in other sports. For example, Tiger Woods’ success in golf is often attributed to the fact that he followed in the footsteps of trailblazers like Jackie Robinson and Arthur Ashe.

Today, there are more than 200 black players in the NHL. And while racism still exists in hockey (as it does in all sports), the league has made great strides in recent years to promote equality and inclusion. In 2020, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that all teams must interview at least one person of color for head coaching and general manager positions. This is a major step forward for a league that is still predominantly white.

The Present Day

According to a recent article in The Athletic, the NHL is “worse off” when it comes to the diversification of its player population. In the 2019-2020 season, there were only 23 black players in the NHL out of a total of 706, which is a decrease from the previous year. This number represents only 3.2% of the league and is the lowest percentage of black players in the NHL since the league began tracking this data in 1998.

The number of black players in the NHL today

The NHL today is made up of 30 teams, with a total of 731 black players. That’s about 10% of the league. The number of black players in the NHL has been slowly but steadily increasing over the years.

In the 2018-19 season, there were 86 black players in the NHL, which was a new record. The previous record was 85, set in the 2009-10 season.

The “Subban Effect”

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of black players in the NHL. This is largely due to the success of players like P.K. Subban, who has inspired a new generation of black players to pursue their dreams of playing professional hockey.

The “Subban Effect” has been credited with increasing the number of black players in the NHL by nearly 50% over the past five years. In the 2016-17 season, there were 23 black players in the NHL, which was up from just 15 in the 2011-12 season.

There are many factors that have contributed to the “Subban Effect,” but one of the most important is that he has shown young black players that it is possible to succeed at the highest level of professional hockey. Subban is a role model for young black players, and his success has inspired them to believe that they can achieve their dreams as well.

Conclusion

In the 2019-2020 NHL season, there were 23 black players on opening night rosters, which is down from the league-high of 58 in the 2005-2006 season. The percentage of black players in the NHL has been slowly declining over the past few years, and currently stands at 2.8%.