The history of black players in North American ice hockey has roots dating back to the late 19th century.
[note 1] The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes began in 1895, as an initiative of black Baptist churches in Nova Scotia.
The league consisted of teams from Halifax, Africville, Hammond's Plains, Dartmouth, Truro, Amherst, and Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Some of the early black players in Ontario ice hockey history included Hipple Galloway and Fred Kelly.
[4][better source needed] The other line members consisted of his brother, Ossie Carnegie, and Manny McIntyre, originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The museum completed an eight-city tour in February, with its final stop being outside the Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C.[13] The Black Girl Hockey Club was founded in October 2018 by Renee Hess, an assistant director at La Sierra University and Pittsburgh Penguins fan, as an online chat group for black women in ice hockey.
[15] The first NHL meet-up was held at a Washington Capitals match on December 16, 2018, and was attended by over 40 members, including NWHLer Kelsey Koelzer.
O'Ree is still heavily involved with the NHL, in promoting the league's Diversity Program all over North America with amateur youth and adult ice hockey players.
[28] During the 1958 season, Canadian-born Willie O'Ree became the first player of African descent to join the National Hockey League.
Playing a short career of only 45 games, O'Ree faced racism after being recalled from the Canadian minor leagues.
The event caused fights to break out between all players of each team and a police escort was required for O'Ree to leave the building safely.
[9] This motivation led Willie O'Ree to be named the "Jackie Robinson" of ice hockey by the NHL community.
The main goal of the clinics is to increase the diversity of ice hockey and allow children who are unfamiliar with the sport to have a chance at trying it out.
O'Ree's personal goals are to communicate that, "Your race can't keep you from succeeding,"[30] to the younger children and to share how he overcame the racism he faced during his career.
James recalls fans taunting him with racial slurs as well as players committing penalties and fights against him because of his skin color.
In an interview with James, he states that he could not watch another ice hockey game for ten years due to the events of his NHL career haunting him.
During his career with the Buffalo Sabres, Val James recalls beer bottles being thrown at him when entering the arena as well as fans shouting racial slurs at him.
With this policy enacted, any racist remarks or gestures would cause an immediate ejection from the arena and a subsequent ban from attending that organization's games.
[9] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has supported his players' wishes by including the zero-tolerance policy for racism.
The event starts on February 1, the same date as Black History Month, and has the goal of raising awareness of equality throughout the league.
[42] In 2008, she, along with Cammi Granato (United States) and Geraldine Heaney (CAN), became the first women to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.