1749
1749: Written Account of Mi’kmaq Playing A Game on Ice With Pucks, Sticks & Bone Skates
Mi’kmaw political science professor Cheryl Maloney uncovered the first written account of ice hockey being played was on the Dartmouth Lakes in 1749, with the Mi’kmaq playing “a game on ice with pucks and sticks and bone skates.” (Pictured above: Mi’kmaq making hockey sticks from hornbeam trees (Carpinus caroliniana) in Nova Scotia about 1890.) LEARN MORE >
1895
1895-1930s: Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes
The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHL) was an all-Black men’s hockey league. Play was known to be fast, physical and innovative. With the influence of the Black Nationalism Movement — and with rising interest in the sport of hockey — the league came to be seen as a potential driving force for the equality of Black Canadians. The CHL was founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1895. It was defunct during and after the First World War, reformed in 1921 and then fell apart during the Depression in the 1930s. LEARN MORE >
1896
February 14, 1896: Metis Hockey Player Rod Flett Wins Stanley Cup
Metis hockey player Rod Flett from Kildonan was born on February 27, 1873. Rod Flett was on three Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Winnipeg Victorias. In 1896 they defeated the Montreal Victorias for the Cup. In 1901 they defeated the Montreal Shamrocks and in 1902 they defeated the Toronto Wellingtons. LEARN MORE >
1918
December 31, 1918: Paul Jacobs- First Indigenous Player in NHL?
The Toronto Arenas’ December 31, 1918 lineup includes the name of a Mohawk defenseman, Paul Jacobs. This may have made Jacobs the first Indigenous player to play in the NHL. While league records show him playing a game in the league’s second season, it’s unclear whether he actually made it onto the ice. LEARN MORE >
1926
November 16, 1926: Indigenous Player Taffy Abel Makes NHL Debut
As his family asserts, Taffy Abel was not only the first Indigenous person to compete in the NHL, but he was also the athlete to break the NHL’s color barrier when he stepped on the ice with the New York Rangers in 1926. LEARN MORE >
1928
April 14, 1928: Taffy Abel First Indigenous Player to Win Stanley Cup in NHL Era
Taffy Abel played eight years in the National Hockey League, helping the New York Rangers (1927-28) and the Chicago Black Hawks (1933-34) win the Stanley Cup. LEARN MORE >
1931
February 12, 1931: Henry Elmer “Buddy” Maracle Makes NHL Debut- First Nations NHL Player Bypassed by History
Maracle, a Mohawk from Six Nations, played 11 regular season games and four Stanley Cup Playoffs contests for the New York Rangers in 1930-31. He tallied a goal and 3 assists in his short tenure with the Blue Shirts. LEARN MORE >
1940
1940s & 50s – Herb Carnegie Nearly Becomes First Black NHLer
Arguably the first Black Canadian hockey star, Herb Carnegie is widely regarded as the best Black player never to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Carnegie played in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly in the Quebec and Ontario Junior A and senior leagues. He was a member of the Black Aces, the first all-Black line in hockey outside the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. LEARN MORE >
1941
1941-42: First All-Black Line in Pro Hockey
During the Buffalo-Ankerite (Timmins, Ontario) 1941-42 season the famous ‘Black Line’ or ‘Black Aces’ first played together. The first all-Black line in pro hockey was comprised of Herb and Ossie Carnegie along with Manny McIntyre. LEARN MORE >
1944
September 1944: Chin Brothers Invited to Toronto Maple Leafs Training Camp
At the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp in September 1944, the hockey world briefly focused its attention on Lucknow, Ont., as three brothers put on an amazing exhibition. LEARN MORE >
1948
March 13, 1948: Larry Kwong- First Player of Asian Descent to Play in the NHL
Larry Kwong was called-up by the New York Rangers for a game vs. the Montreal Canadiens on March 13, 1948. Playing a single, 60-second shift in the third period, Larry became the first player of Asian descent to play in the NHL. LEARN MORE >
1953
November 20, 1953: Fred Sasakamoose, Long Credited as First Indigenous NHLer, Makes NHL Debut
Fred Sasakamoose played 11 games for the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1953–54 NHL season. After his retirement from competitive hockey in 1961, he dedicated himself to encouraging youth through sports involvement. LEARN MORE >
1958
January 18, 1958: Willie O’Ree Becomes First Black Player to Play in the NHL
Willie O’Ree was, and he made history on January 18, 1958, when he became the first Black hockey player to play a game in the National Hockey League. (The Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens that night, 3–0.) After playing only two games for the Bruins in the 1957–58 season, O’Ree returned to the team in the 1960–61 season and scored 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 43 regular-season games. On January 1, 1961, O’Ree also became the first Black player to score a goal in the NHL, in a 3–2 win over the Canadiens. LEARN MORE >
October 8, 1958: John Hanna First Player of Middle Eastern Descent to Play in NHL
Defenceman John Hanna, the first person of Middle Eastern descent to play in the NHL, played parts of five NHL seasons with three different clubs in the 1950s and 60s. Beginning in 1958-59, Hanna played nearly three full years with the New York Rangers. LEARN MORE >
1963
1963 to early-1990s: Bev Beaver One of Canada’s Top Hockey Players
Bev Beaver was one of Canada’s best women’s hockey players, and perhaps one of the country’s least-known. A Mohawk from Southern Ontario’s Six Nations Reserve who played competitive hockey for over four decades, Beaver won a bevy of scoring titles – she was the COWHL’s leading scorer in 1967 and 1972 and the league’s second-best scorer from 1969 to 1971 – and powered her clubs to numerous league and tournament crowns. She also collected five most valuable player awards along the way. LEARN MORE >
1970
February 1970: First All-Black Line in Canadian College Hockey
In February 1970, Saint Mary’s University coach Bob Boucher did something that no Canadian college hockey team is believed to have done before — put an all-Black forward line on the ice in a game, made up of Bob Dawson, Percy Paris and Darrell Maxwell. LEARN MORE >
1973
1973: Doxie McCoy- Goalie for First Boston College Women’s Hockey Team
Doxie McCoy, who grew up in Washington, D.C., said she never saw an ice hockey game before attending college. But that didn’t deter John “Snooks” Kelley from recruiting her, figuring her field hockey goaltending skills would translate to the ice. “It seemed kind of crazy, in the sense that, yeah, I was a Black girl out there — I’m not sure whether I was the only Black girl on field hockey, but I know I was the only Black girl out there for ice hockey.” LEARN MORE >
1974
May 28, 1974: Mike Marson Becomes First Black Player Selected In An NHL Entry Draft
Mike Marson was drafted in the 2nd Round, 19th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft, making him the first Black player to be drafted in an NHL Entry Draft (first introduced in 1963). He became the second Black player to play in the NHL. READ MORE >
1975
June 3, 1975: Mike Wong (5th Round, Red Wings) & Dan Tsubouchi (13th Round, Penguins) First Players of Asian Descent Selected at NHL Draft
Mike Wong (pictured above, left) became the first player of Asian descent selected in an NHL Draft when he was picked in the 5th round (77th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings. LEARN MORE >
Later in the draft, Dan Tsubouchi (pictured above, right) became the second player of Asian descent selected when he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 13th round (202nd overall). LEARN MORE >
1980
1980-2000: Angela James- Women’s Hockey Superstar
Angela James joins the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League in 1980 as a 16-year-old, playing in the league until 1998. Leading her team to numerous league and provincial championships, she was the leading scorer in eight seasons and MVP in six. She played in the first women’s world championship, an unsanctioned tournament in 1987. In 1990, she was selected to join Canada’s National Team at the inaugural IIHF World Women’s Championship, held in Ottawa, where she led the team to the gold medal with a record-setting 11 goals in five games. LEARN MORE >
1981
November 1, 1981: Val James Becomes the First American-Born Black Player to Play in the NHL
In 1981, Val became the first American-born black player in the NHL, a milestone he said passed without acknowledgment from the league or his team, the Buffalo Sabres. James played 14 games in parts of two seasons, finishing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1986-87. LEARN MORE >
1984
May 19, 1984: Grant Fuhr First Black Player to Win Stanley Cup
Grant Fuhr became the first Black player to lift the Stanley Cup when he won the Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1983-84 season. LEARN MORE >
1987
1987: John Paris Jr. NHL’s First Black Head Scout, 1993: First Black Head Coach in Pro Hockey
In 1987, John Paris Jr. became the first Black scout in the NHL, for the St. Louis Blues of the NHL, and became the first Black Coach and first Black General Manager in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), initially with the Trois-Rivières Draveurs, followed by the Granby Bisons. In the 1993-94 season, Paris was hired by the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL), the farm team of NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. His move to Atlanta made him the first Black coach in professional hockey. LEARN MORE >
1988
March 1, 1988: Claude Vilgrain First Haitian-Born Player to Play in NHL
Born in Haiti, he moved to Ste-Foy, Quebec when he was just a few months old. His parents didn’t know anything about hockey, but quickly learned about all the equipment their son would need to play. He turned his passion into an impressive career that saw him play five seasons in the NHL, represent Canada at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary and at the 1996 and 1997 Spengler Cup tournaments. On March 1, 1988, Vilgrain became the first Haitian-born player to play in the NHL when he suited up for the Vancouver Canucks against the Philadephia Flyers. READ MORE >
1989
May 25, 1989: Norman “Normie” Kwong First Person of Asian Descent to Win Stanley Cup
From 1988 to 1991 Norman Kwong served as President and General Manager of the Calgary Stampeders. He was also co-owner of the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames from 1980 to 1994, during which time the Flames won the Stanley Cup Championship (1989). He is among only a few Canadians to have won both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup as a player, manager or owner. LEARN MORE >
October 6, 1989: Robin Bawa First South Asian of Indian Descent to Play in the NHL
Robin Bawa, a native of Duncan, BC, was a 5-year veteran and all-star with the Kamloops Blazers in the rough-and-tumble Western Hockey League. Initially undrafted, he was later signed by the Washington Capitals as a free agent in 1987. In 1989, Bawa was called up to the Capitals where played 5 games, making him the first South Asian of Indian descent to play in the NHL. LEARN MORE >
1990
March 1990: Susana Yuen- Star in First Ever Women’s World Hockey Championship, Captures Gold
In 1989, Susana Yuen, was selected for the Canadian national team that would be participating at the first official, IIHF-sanctioned Women’s World Championship in Ottawa in March 1990. Not only did she help Canada win gold, her 12 points tied her for second among Canadians and put her tied for sixth among all skaters in the tournament. LEARN MORE >
1991
May 25, 1991: Jim Paek Becomes First Player of Asian Descent to Win Stanley Cup
In 1990, Jim Paek became the first Korean-born player to play in the National Hockey League. On May 25, 1991, Paek scored his first-ever NHL goal in Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup-clinching victory of the Final, an 8-0 win over Minnesota in Game 6. With the Penguins’ victory, Paek became the first player of Asian descent to win the Stanley Cup. LEARN MORE >
1992
February 20, 1992: Bill Guerin NHL’s First Player of Hispanic Descent
Bill Guerin, the son of a Nicaraguan mother and an American father, was the first player of Hispanic descent to play in an NHL game when he suited up for the New Jersey Devils on February 20, 1992. Guerin wasn’t aware he broke a barrier at the time. “Someone told me that years ago. I guess I didn’t realize it,” Guerin said. “It’s something I’m really proud of and I’m glad to see there are other guys now. LEARN MORE >
1993
April 2, 1993: Paul Kariya First Player of Asian Descent to Win Hobey Baker Award as Top NCAA Men’s Hockey Player
Paul Kariya was the first player of Asian descent and the first freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award. He notched 25 goals and 75 assists for 100 points in 39 games during his only full season of college hockey, helping the Black Bears to an impressive 42-1-2 record and the 1992-93 NCAA and Hockey East titles. He won the 1992-93 Hockey East scoring title with 15 goals and 48 assists in conference play. LEARN MORE >
1995
June 24, 1995: Bill Guerin First Player of Hispanic Descent to Win Stanley Cup
Bill Guerin played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. LEARN MORE >
July 18, 1995: Ted Nolan First Indigenous Head Coach in NHL History
Ted Nolan of Garden River First Nation was hired as an assistant coach for the Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League (NHL). After one season with the Whalers, Ted would then go onto to coach the Buffalo Sabres (1995-1997 and 2013-2015) and the NY Islanders (2006-2008). During the Buffalo Sabres season in 1996-1997, which saw them capture 1st in the Northeast Division, Ted was awarded the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. LEARN MORE >
1998
June 29, 1998: Dirk Graham First Black Head Coach in NHL History
Dirk Graham had already made history with the Blackhawks in 1989, when he became the NHL’s first Black captain. He retired in 1995, spent one season as an assistant under Craig Hartsburg, took a year off and returned as a scout. On June 29, 1998, he became Chicago’s 31st coach, becoming the first Black head coach in the NHL. LEARN MORE >
2002
February 21, 2002: Vicky Sunohara First Player of Asian Descent to Win Olympic Women’s Hockey Gold
Vicky Sunohara scored four goals during the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake to help carry Team Canada to the gold medal win… Sunohara made her Olympic debut at Nagano 1998 where women’s ice hockey also debuted as part of the Olympic program. Team Canada and Sunohara took home silver at Nagano 1998. Sunohara would return to the Olympic Games at both Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006 where she and Team Canada took home back-to-back gold medals. Over three Olympic Games, Sunohara appeared in 16 games and recorded 13 points. LEARN MORE >
2003
October 9, 2003: Jordin Tootoo First Player of Inuk Descent to Play in NHL
On October 9, 2003, Jordin Tootoo became the first Inuk hockey player and the first person from Nunavut to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). On 29 May 2001, the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League drafted Jordin 98th overall. He attended his first NHL training camp that fall before going back to play junior hockey for two more seasons in Brandon. In 2003, he was called up to play for the Predators. LEARN MORE >
November 3, 2003: Grant Fuhr First Black Player & First Person of Indigenous Descent Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
Grant Fuhr becomes the first Black player and first person of Indigenous descent (Fuhr’s mother was from Enoch Cree Nation) to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Fuhr won five Stanley Cup championships with the Edmonton Oilers. LEARN MORE >
2007
March 17, 2007: Julie Chu First Player of Asian Descent to Win Patty Kazmaier Award as Top Player in NCAA Division I Women’s Hockey
Julie Chu held the No. 1 spot in the league in points (53), assists (37) and power-play points (27). The two-time Olympian served as one of Harvard’s co-captains, leading the Crimson to a 23-8-2 record and a fifth straight NCAA-tournament appearance. LEARN MORE >
January 12, 2007: Yutaka Fukufuji Becomes First Japanese-Born Player in NHL
Los Angeles Kings goalie Yutaka Fukufuji became the first Japanese-born player in the NHL when he started the third period against the St. Louis Blues on January 12, 2007. LEARN MORE >
2008
May 24, 2008: First Punjabi Hockey Night in Canada Broadcast
On May 24, 2008, Harnarayan Singh called the first ever Punjabi NHL broadcast: Game 1 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. In October 2008, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) created weekly Punjabi broadcasts to accompany the traditional English language HNIC broadcasts. In 2014, the broadcasts officially become ‘Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition’ and moved to OMNI Television. LEARN MORE >
2010
November 8, 2010: Angela James First Black Woman Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
Following an amendment to its by-laws in 2009, the Hockey Hall of Fame opened its doors to women, and inducted Angela James into the Hall in the Player Category in 2010. James became the first Black woman inducted into the Hall. LEARN MORE >
2013
October 5, 2013: Matt Dumba Becomes First Player of Filipino Descent to Play in NHL
Matt Dumba was picked by Minnesota in the first round of the 2012 NHL entry draft. Dumba earned a spot in the Wild lineup to start the 2013–14 season and made his NHL debut on October 5, 2013, against the Anaheim Ducks, becoming the first player of Filipino descent to play in the NHL. He scored his first NHL goal on October 12 against Dan Ellis of the Dallas Stars. LEARN MORE >
2014
February 2014: Jocelyne Larocque First Indigenous Player to Play on a Women’s Olympic Hockey Team
Jocelyne Larocque, who is of Metis heritage, was a member of the Canadian squad that captured the gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics staged in Sochi, Russia. Larocque made history at those Games, becoming the first Indigenous woman to suit up for the Canadian women’s hockey club at an Olympics. LEARN MORE >
2017
November 13, 2017: Paul Kariya First Player of Asian Descent Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
Paul Kariya becomes the first player of Asian heritage and the first Japanese Canadian inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. LEARN MORE >
2018
February 2018: Brigette Lacquette 1st First Nations Player to Play on a Women’s Olympic Hockey Team
“To represent Canada being the first First Nation is such an honour to me,” said Brigette Lacquette, 25. A member of the Cote First Nation, she played defence for the Olympic team in Pyeongchang. LEARN MORE >
November 12, 2018: Willie O’Ree Becomes First Black Builder Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
The magnitude of Willie O’Ree’s hockey career as a black player cannot be underestimated. The second black player to join the NHL was Mike Marson, and that did not take place until the 1974-75 season with the Washington Capitals. O’Ree’s NHL career, albeit brief, opened the door for other players of various races to dream about NHL careers. LEARN MORE >
2019
August 21, 2019: Bill Guerin First NHL GM of Hispanic Descent
“I’m extremely excited to be in the state of hockey,” Guerin said at his introductory press conference. “This is an incredible opportunity for anybody and I’m very fortunate to be sitting up here.” LEARN MORE >
2020
February 2020: Blake Bolden First Black Woman to Scout for NHL Team
In addition to her success as a player, Blake Bolden became one of the first female scouts, and the first Black woman, in a scouting capacity with an NHL organization, when she joined the LA Kings pro scouting staff in February. LEARN MORE >
2021
May 10, 2021: First All-Black Line in NHL History
The Tampa Bay Lightning had three Black players — Mathieu Joseph, Gemel Smith and Daniel Walcott — start on the same forward line in a game against the Florida Panthers. LEARN MORE >
October 2021: Brigette Lacquette First Indigenous Woman to Scout for NHL Team
Brigette Lacquette became the first Indigenous woman to scout for an NHL team when she was hired by the Blackhawks in the fall of 2021. Making history is familiar for Lacquette, who became the first First Nations woman to play hockey for Canada in a Winter Olympics in 2018. LEARN MORE >
October 12, 2021: Everett Fitzhugh First Black NHL Team Broadcaster Calls First Game for Kraken
Everett Fitzhugh was hired by the Seattle Kraken, becoming the NHL’s first Black full-time play-by-play announcer. He hopes he inspires and welcomes other hockey fans of color, just as he was inspired watching the Oilers of the 90s. LEARN MORE >
