Hey Ya’ll!
Please welcome our new WUYS contributing blogger, Mr. Chocolate Iced! *cue cheers and whistles* As a dude, hockey fan, and African-American male, CI will offer his insight, manly wisdom, and unique perspective about this sport that we all love. He’s also a real life lawyer, so he can explain all that pesky arbitration/collective bargaining/contract type stuff. ‘Cuz Pants and Chuck don’t do no math.
~ Pants and Chuck
I know what you’re thinking, “a black guy that has been a hockey fan since he was about twelve years-old, plays ice hockey now, and occasionally writes for a hockey blog…really?” Yes, really. Allow me to re-introduce myself, my name is Chocolate Iced, your male contributing blogger on “What’s Up Ya Sieve?” and a puck head who happens to share skin color with the President. I grew up playing a lot of street hockey in Long Island, New York and rooting on my hometown team, the New York Islanders. (Yes, I hate the Rangers, thanks for asking.)
Not me…but we are out there…
I don’t remember how I became a hockey fan, but I always remember hockey being lots of fun to watch. There was (and is) something so great about the speed of the game, the physical nature, the skill, the ice, everything. Once I got to BU as a college freshman in 1997, that was it, I was really hooked. I didn’t start playing ice hockey until a few years ago, but it’s the thing I look forward to most each week.
It’s a fact: the vast majority of the players in the NHL (and in every other hockey league in North America) are white. However, black players, although still rare in hockey, have made a significant and lasting contribution to the game. The very first black player to play in the NHL was New Brunswick’s own Willie O’Ree, who skated for the Boston Bruins on and off from 1958 through 1961.
O’Ree also won a couple of scoring titles in the WHL, scoring 38 goals in both the ’64-’65 and ’68-69 seasons.
Another past great, and the first black player inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame, is goaltending legend Grant Fuhr. Fuhr won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers in the 1980s. He also had a sweet ‘fro back in the day.
Right now there are more than 25 black players in the NHL, including Mike Grier (Go Terriers!), Wayne Simmonds, Jarome Iginla, P.K. Subban, Ray Emery, and Stanley Cup Champion Dustin Byfuglien.
One of my favorite players in the league right now is Evander Kane, who was named after Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield. You remember Kane, he’s the guy that did what the Bruins should have done by beating the crap out of Matt Cooke last season. Suffice it to say that I wouldn’t want to drop the gloves with Mr. Kane anytime soon.
Well, that’s it for now kids. Until next time remember, “Hockey is for everyone.” (Cue lame record scratching and “rap” music.)
I heart Jerome. Calargy is actually my team because Mikka and Jerome. I just wish they’d get Jerome some support. I think the Olympics show just how good he really is. And Dustin is up and coming. Too bad they dismantled their cup team. But The Donald is my man as per my recent post. He had Ovie’s back for a while and he the last of a dying a dying breed. 🙂
There’s a guy who hands out flyers on the corner near my office while wearing an Isles jersey – I get so happy when I see him! CI, this is already our smartest post.
Black americans should like hockey why : 1) it’s the fastest and best game in the world , look i love Football as well but hockey is fantastic. 2) If you like football you should like hockey because it has SPEED, CONTACT, (COLLISIONS WOULD BE A BETTER DESCRIPTION ) it takes lots of skill to play. kids have to start at an early age because it takes years of practice to learn to do the things NHL players do. No other sport gives you the action hockey does,Plus it’s hard to play people have to learn to ice skate and a lot of people can’t skate well. Many a good hockey player has never made it to the NHL because of his skating was not up to par !!!!! HOCKEY RULES
Very cool article. Have you seen the Black Hockey Player Wall of Fame? It lists the names, photos and stats of every black player who has been drafted by or played in the NHL.