How Many Blacks Are In The NHL?

The answer to the question everyone is asking.

The current state of the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently composed of 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. From 1942 to 1967, the league had six teams, and through most of its history, the NHL has been considered the premiere professional ice hockey league in the world. In recent years, however, the sport has been overshadowed by the National Football League (NFL) in the United States.

The number of black players in the NHL

In October of 2019, the NHL released a statement in response to a question about the lack of diversity in the league. The statement read, in part, “While we acknowledge that the number of black players in our league is relatively small, we are proud of the diversity of our players.”

According to a 2016 report by ESPN, black players made up only 2.45 percent of NHL rosters. This number has likely increased in recent years, but it is still significantly lower than the percentage of black players in other major professional leagues in North America.

One reason for the low number of black players in the NHL is that hockey is not as popular in many parts of the world where people of color live. In Canada, for example, hockey is considered to be a “white sport” and most black Canadians do not grow up playing it. This lack of exposure to the sport makes it less likely that black players will be drafted into the NHL.

The NHL has been working to increase its diversity in recent years through initiatives like its “Hockey Is For Everyone” program. However, it will likely be many years before the league becomes truly representative of the population as a whole.

The number of black players in the AHL

The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL).
As of the 2010–11 season, 29 percent of AHL players were born outside of Canada, with the largest number from the United States. The league has 26 teams in 25 states in the United States and 2 provinces in western Canada.
During the 2012–13 season, there were 622 players on AHL rosters, including 176 Canadians, 141 Americans, 14 from Sweden, 10 from Finland and one each fromthe Czech Republic, Germany, Russia and Switzerland. The average age of an AHL player is 26 years old.

In terms of race and ethnicity, 171 players were identified as Caucasian or White, 60 as Black or African American, 15 as Asian or Asian American, two as Hispanic or Latino and one as Native American or First Nations. There were also two players who were not identified with any particular race or ethnicity.

The number of black players in the CHL

The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL primary feeder system for the National Hockey League, and comprises the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Since it’s inception in 1972, there have been 1,384 black players that have either played in or been drafted by a CHL team. That number represents approximately 6% of all CHL players in that time period. In 2017-18, there were 103 black players on CHL rosters, representing 4.6% of the league’s total player population.

Of the 103 black players in the CHL during the 2017-18 season:
-59 were in the Western Hockey League
-26 were in the Ontario Hockey League
-18 were in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

The most recent data available from NHL Central Scouting shows that there were 34 black players on their ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2018 NHL Draft. That number represents 5.4% of all draft eligible prospects on Central Scouting’s radar.

The history of black players in the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league. The NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American major professional sports leagues. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

The first black player in the NHL

The first black player in the NHL was Willie O’Ree, who broke the color barrier when he debuted with the Boston Bruins in 1958. O’Ree went on to play 45 games with the Bruins, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists.

Since O’Ree’s historic debut, there have been a number of other black players who have made their mark in the NHL. Hockey Hall of Famers Bernie Geoffrion and Grant Fuhr were both black, as is current superstar Jarome Iginla.

As of 2013, there were approximately 30 black players in the NHL, representing roughly 9 percent of all NHL players. This is still a relatively small percentage, but it’s an increase from years past and is indicative of the growing diversity of the league.

The number of black players in the NHL by year

In 1978, there were only 16 black players in the NHL. In 1998, that number had risen to 94. The 2016-17 season saw the highest percentage of black players in league history, at 10.3%. That year also saw the most black NHL players ever, at 158.

The majority of black NHL players come from Canada, with 71% of black NHL players being Canadian-born in 2016-17. The United States is second with 19%, followed by Russia (5%), Sweden (2%) and Finland (1%).

There are a number of reasons why the number of black players in the NHL has increased over the years. One is simply that the population of black people in North America has grown over time. But another reason is that programs like Hockey Canada’s “Strategy for Diversification” are working to get more people from underrepresented groups playing hockey.

The number of black players in the NHL is still relatively small compared to other groups, but it is growing every year. And with stars like Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien leading the way, it’s likely that even more young black players will be inspired to take up the sport in the future.

The future of black players in the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) has been struggling with diversity for years. In the 2019-2020 season, only 7.8% of the league was made up of Black players, according to Statista. This is the lowest percentage of Black players in the NHL since 1998-1999.

The number of black players in the NHL draft

In recent years, the number of black players in the NHL draft has been on the rise. In 2013, 14 percent of NHL draft picks were black, up from just six percent in 2003. This trend is being driven in part by the growing popularity of hockey in traditional black neighborhoods in North America.

There are currently around 30 black players in the NHL, which is still a small percentage of the overall league but represents a significant increase from just a few years ago. The future looks bright for black players in the NHL, and it is likely that we will see even more drafted in the coming years.

The number of black players in the NHL free agency

It’s been a long time since the NHL has seen an African-American player in its ranks. The last one was Val James, who played a handful of games for the Buffalo Sabres in the 1980s. But while the league may currently be void of black players, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any talent out there. In fact, there are a number of talented black players currently in the NHL free agency system that could very well make an impact on the league in the near future.

One player that has been linked to a number of NHL teams is former Pittsburgh Penguin Reggie Gould. The 26-year-old winger is considered one of the more talented black players in the free agency pool and has attracted interest from a number of teams, including the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Gould is coming off a season in which he scored 15 goals and 37 points in 62 games for HC Sochi of the KHL.

Another player to keep an eye on is former Florida Panther Anthony Stewart. The 31-year-old winger was recently bought out by his KHL team, HC Lugano, after scoring 10 goals and 25 points in 50 games. Stewart has NHL experience, having played parts of six seasons with the Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes. He’s also no stranger to North America, having grown up in Toronto and played his junior hockey with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs.

In addition to Gould and Stewart, there are a number of other talented black players currently unsigned by an NHL team. Forwards like Jay Beagle (Washington Capitals), Joel Ward ( Nashville Predators) and Trevor Lewis (Los Angeles Kings) all have expiring contracts and could very well find new homes next season. And don’t forget about defencemen like Will Butcher (New Jersey Devils), who won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player this past season.

While it remains to be seen if any of these black players will sign with an NHL team next season, one thing is for sure: the talent is definitely out there.