See? That's his little hand in the corner. He saw this and had to send it to me immediately, giggling madly as he did.I never really thought of limited diversity in the fan base, but I did recognize that the vast majority of players are caucasian. While there wasn't a lot of racial diversity in hockey in the past, this is certainly changing. Wikipedia lists the following players [past and future] as having black and African heritage:
Past
Names in italics have won the Stanley Cup. If known, the player's heritage will be identified.
[Players with at least one game of NHL or WHA experience who have retired, or who are no longer playing with an NHL affiliate team.]
Forwards
Darren Banks - Left Wing (Boston Bruins)
Donald Brashear (Bi-racial), Left Wing: (Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers)
Anson Carter (Barbadian) - Right Wing: (Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets)
John Craighead- Right Wing (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Dale Craigwell - Centre (San Jose Sharks)
Nigel Dawes (Bi-racial, Jamaican), Left Wing: (New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, Montreal Canadiens)
Steven Fletcher Left Wing (Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets)
Dirk Graham (Bi-racial, Afro-Canadian) - Right Wing (Minnesota North Stars, Chicago Blackhawks)
Mike Grier (African American), Right Wing: (Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres)
Val James (first African American and first native-born Floridian to play in the NHL) - Left Wing (Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs)
Brian Johnson - Right Wing (Detroit Red Wings)
Nathan LaFayette - Centre (St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings)
Georges Laraque (Haitian), Right Wing: (Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens)
Darren Lowe (Afro-Canadian) - Right Wing (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Mike Marson- Forward (Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings)
Craig Martin (Afro-Canadian) - Forward (Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers)
Sandy McCarthy (Bi-racial, Afro-Canadian ) - Right Wing (Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Boston
Bruins)
Mike McHugh- Left Wing (Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks)
Tony McKegney (Afro-Canadian; first black player to participate in a full season) Forward (Buffalo Sabres, Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks)
Sean McMorrow- Forward (Buffalo Sabres)
Ray Neufeld Right Wing (Hartford Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins)
Willie O'Ree (Afro-Canadian, first black player to appear in an NHL game)
- Right Wing (Boston Bruins)
Bill Riley (Afro-Canadian) - Wing (Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets)
Nathan Robinson, Forward: (Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins)
Bernie Saunders -Right Wing (Quebec Nordiques)
Reggie Savage - Right Wing (Washington Capitals, Quebec Nordiques)
Graeme Townshend (Jamaican) - Right Wing (Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators)
Claude Vilgrain (Haitian) - Right Wing (Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers)
Alton White (Afro-Canadian; first black player to score a major league hat trick)
- Right Wing (New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks , Michigan Stags , Baltimore Blades) .
Peter Worrell (Barbadian) -Left Wing (Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche)
Defensemen
Shawn Belle: (Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche)
Sean Brown- Defense (Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks)
Jason Doig, (Jamaican Canadian)- Defense (Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals)
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre (Haitian) - Defense (Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue
Jackets, Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers)
Paul Jerrard (Bi-racial, Jamaican) - Defense (Minnesota North Stars)
Rumun Ndur (Nigerian Canadian) - Defense (Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers)
Goaltenders
Fred Brathwaite (Barbadian) (Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets)
Gerald Coleman (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Grant Fuhr (Afro-Canadian; first black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the first to win the Stanley Cup) (Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames)
Joaquin Gage (Edmonton Oilers)
Tyrone Garner(Calgary Flames)
Pokey Reddick (Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers)
Kevin Weekes (Barbadian) (Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils)
and
Active
Names in italics have won the Stanley Cup. If known, the player's heritage will be identified.
[Players with at least one game of NHL experience currently playing in the NHL or on an affiliate team.]
Forwards
Paul Bissonnette (Bi-racial), Left Wing: (Pittsburgh Penguins, Phoenix Coyotes)
Robbie Earl (African American), Left Wing: (Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs)
Jarome Iginla (Bi-racial, Nigerian), Right Wing: (Calgary Flames)
Evander Kane (Afro-Canadian), Center/Left Wing (Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg
Jets)
Greg Mauldin (African American), Right Wing: (Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche)
JamalMayers (Bi-racial), Left Wing: (St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks)
Kenndal McArdle, Left Wing: (Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets)
Kyle Okposo (Bi-racial, Nigerian), Right Wing: (New York Islanders)
Ryan Reaves, Right Wing: (St. Louis Blues)
Wayne Simmonds,Right Wing: (Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers)
Devante Smith-Pelly,Left Wing: (Anaheim Ducks)
Anthony Stewart, (Bi-racial, Jamaican) Centre: (Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes)
Chris Stewart, (Bi-racial, Jamaican) Right Wing: (Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues)
Joel Ward (Barbadian), Right Wing: (Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals),
Defensemen
Francis Bouillon (Bi-racial, Haitian): (Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators)
Dustin Byfuglien (Bi-racial, African American), Right Wing/Defenseman: (Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets)
Trevor Daley: (Dallas Stars)
Maxime Fortunus (Haitian): (Dallas Stars)
Mark Fraser : (New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks)
DerekJoslin: (San Jose Sharks, Carolina Hurricanes)
Johnny Oduya (Bi-racial, Kenyan): (New Jersey Devils, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg
Jets, Chicago Blackhawks)
Theo Peckham (Bi-racial): (Edmonton Oilers)
Bryce Salvador (Bi-racial): (St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils)
P. K. Subban (Jamaican and Montserratian): (Montreal Canadiens)
Goaltenders
Chris Beckford-Tseu (Bi-racial, Jamaican) (St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers)
Ray Emery (Afro-Canadian): (Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks)
Diversity is happening in hockey, all right. This list doesn't include hockey players of Asian or Middle Eastern descent, either. And while I don't foresee the NHL crossing the gender barrier in my lifetime, maybe that will happen, too.
Okay, maybe not. But I would love to see a 275 pound, 6'9" woman beat Zdeno Chara into a meringue. I can dream.
"We do exist...." Heh. Good one, VNP. Good one.
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