Coloured Hockey League[edit]

The Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes began in 1895, as an initiative of black Baptist churches in
Nova Scotia.[1] The aim was to increase and retain male membership. The league consisted of teams
from Halifax, Africville, Hammond's Plains, Dartmouth, Truro, Amherst and Charlottetown, P.E.I.[1] All
games were on an invitational basis with the trophy still residing in a private home in Halifax, Nova
Scotia. Historically, they were the first league to allow the goaltender to drop to the ice to stop the puck.
[2]

Ontario[edit]

Ontario was geographically large, and it was impossible in the early 20th century to organize an all-black
league like in Nova Scotia. Some of the early black players in Ontario hockey history included Hipple
Galloway and Fred Kelly. Galloway played as a member of the Woodstock team in the Central Ontario
Hockey Association in 1899. [3] In 1916, Fred (Bud) Kelly of London played for the 118 Battalion team of
the Ontario Hockey League. Apparently, Kelly was scouted by the Toronto St. Pats, but was never
officially contacted. One of the first all-black teams in Ontario was the Orioles. The team was from St.
Catharines and played in the Niagara District Hockey League during the 1930s.

Herb Carnegie’s hockey career began in 1938 with the Toronto Young Rangers and continued in the early
1940s with the Buffalo Ankerites, a team in a mines league that played in mining towns in northern
Ontario and Quebec. While with the Ankerites, Carnegie was part of the Black Aces line.[4] The other
line members consisted of his brother, Ossie Carnegie and Manny McIntyre, originally from Fredericton,
New Brunswick. They were recognized as much for their talent and skill as their skin colour (Herb was at
centre, Ossie was right wing, McIntyre was the left wing). In the semi-professional Quebec Provincial
League, Herb was named most valuable player in 1946, 1947 and 1948.

In 1948, Carnegie was given a tryout with the New York Rangers and offered a contract to play in the
Rangers' minor league system. However, he was offered less money than he was earning in the Quebec
league and turned down all three offers made by the Rangers organization during his tryout.

WHA[edit]

Alton White played for the New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks, Michigan Stags, and Baltimore Blades
of the (WHA). White is best known for being the second player of African descent, after Willie O'Ree, to
have played on a professional major league ice hockey team[5] In addition, White is the first hockey
player of African descent to score 20 goals in a single season. He did this for the Los Angeles Sharks
during the 1972–73 season. During the same 72–73 season, he became the first black player in history to
score a hat-trick in a major league professional game.[5]

Tony McKegney was raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. At age twenty, Tony McKegney signed a
contract with the WHA's Birmingham Bulls, only to see the owner illegally renege on the deal after fans
threatened to boycott the team for having added a black player to its roster.[6] In the NHL, McKegney
would go on to score over 300 career goals, including 40 in the 1987–88 season. His total of 78 points in
the same season would remain the highest ever recorded by a black player until Jarome Iginla broke the
record in 2001–02.

NHL[edit]

Willie O'Ree[edit]

Willie O'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" due to breaking the black colour barrier
in the sport.[NB 1] He was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an injured player. He
made his NHL debut with the Bruins on January 18 of the 1957–58 NHL season, against the Montreal
Canadiens, becoming the first black player in league history. 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
hockey players.[7]

Mike Marson[edit]

Mike Marson played five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals and the Los
Angeles Kings. He was drafted in the 2nd Round, 19th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1974
NHL Entry Draft and would become the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL. Mike Marson and Bill
Riley (the third black player in the NHL) became the first two black players to play in an NHL game
together.[8] The two played with the Capitals.

Jay Sharrers[edit]

On April 3, 2001, Jay Sharrers made NHL history as the first black referee to officiate an NHL game. He
worked his first game as an NHL ref when the Philadelphia Flyers faced the visiting Florida Panthers.[9]