Black history in hockey isn’t just a thing of the past, it’s still being made. Here is a list of 20 Black women making hockey history of their own.

By Ian Kennedy

Black history in hockey isn’t just a thing of the past, it’s still being made. 

For generations, Black men fought for inclusion in the sport at a time when women of any color were excluded. Now, Black women are working to create space in the game, both on the ice and off, while challenging the intersectional issues of race and gender.

In the annals of women’s hockey, Angela James’ legacy is untouchable for Black women. “The first superstar of modern women’s hockey,” James was among the first class of women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. After winning four World Championship gold medals, including at the first ever IIHF women’s championship in 1990, James was also inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. Today, she continues to impact the game as an assistant coach for the PHF’s Toronto Six.

In the United States, Doxie McCoy was one of the first Black women to make an impact in hockey. McCoy was a founding member of Boston College’s women’s hockey team in 1973, playing goal. The team was founded one year after Title IX legislation passed, making McCoy and her teammates trailblazers for all of women’s hockey in the United States.

For Renee Hess, the founder of Black Girl Hockey Club, opening doors for Black women in sport has become a life mission. The goal of empowering young Black women in hockey, and creating representation within the sport are BGHC’s primary concerns. Someday, the hockey world may shift from seeing Hess as an advocate, to a builder worthy of Hall of Fame recognition herself. Through BGHC’s scholarship program, Hess and her team are helping Black women across the globe reach new levels, and break barriers within the game.

These three represent the past and present of Black women in hockey, but they aren’t the only impactful players in the game. Here is a list of 20 Black women making hockey history of their own:

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Next In Line

Hannah Aslup, Sydney Kinder, Jade Iginla, Laila Edwards, Sophie Jacques, Avery Mitchell, Asiah Taylor-Walters, Jennifer Costa, Tamara Thierus, Chayla Edwards, Rayla Clemens, Kiersten Goode, Crystalyn Hengler.