Of the estimated 7000 people who have played in the NHL only around 100 of them have been Black. That’s an absurdly low number compared to any other major North American sports league.
But what makes that statistic especially shocking is the fact that the modern game has its roots with Black players on Black teams.
The Coloured Hockey League wasn’t just a sideshow to the main event of white hockey. And the way that league was targeted by the white establishment is reflective of the racism that Black players faced over the next century.
Featured in this episode: Bob Dawson, Darril Fosty, George Fosty
To learn more:
Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925 Darril Fosty & George Fosty (Author)
“1960s college hockey player recalls racism on the ice” by Bruce Deachman in The Ottawa Citizen
“The all-Black league that invented hockey as we know it” by Jasper Hutson in Defector
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Canva, Douglas, Better Help, Slow Burn
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