Black Hockey Moments You Should Never Forget From the Past 25 Years
From Iginla's Art Ross win to Byfield's NHL draft and Laila Edwards' international debut, we share some of the most memorable moments by Black hockey players in recent years.
At the international and league levels, the history of hockey is filled with moments and accomplishments made possible by Black players.
Let's take a look at a few from the past few years:
Anson Carter Brings Home Gold for Canada in Overtime
Two nations held their breath as one of the longest goal reviews in IIHF World Championship history continued in 2003's gold medal game between Sweden and Canada.
When officials ruled Canada had scored, Anson Carter's wraparound goal to beat Mikael Tellqvist gave the Canadians their first title since 1997. So many elements of the play added to the moment, from Canada's first celebration that was paused before the endless review to the angle that showed the puck fully crossing the line. When the officials signalled from the penalty box that the goal counted, Carter and the Canadians celebrated all over again.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T54cF1jTek[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzIYVyYHZQo[/embed]
Carter's career spanned over a decade in the NHL with several teams, but the one goal that stood out the most was one of Canada's biggest on the international stage.
Akil Thomas' Late Game Heroics Save Canada at the World Juniors
When it comes to getting your first goal of a tournament, Akil Thomas couldn't have picked a better time for his at the 2020 World Junior Championship.
Thomas had played sparingly for Canada for much of the gold medal game, but with the game tied late in the third period, he found himself behind Russian defenders to break a deadlock. His goal stood up as the game-winner to give Canada their 18th gold medal in tournament history.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8cj-V10Uz0[/embed]
Sarah Nurse and Laila Edwards Make History on Both Sides of the Border
When Sarah Nurse and Laila Edwards put on the jerseys of Team Canada and Team USA, respectively, they did more than simply represent their nations in international play.
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, Nurse became the first Black woman to win a gold medal in ice hockey at the Olympics. In a tournament that saw Canada go unbeaten on the road to the gold medal, Nurse's second Olympics saw her break the record for most points in a single Olympic tournament, with 18 in seven games.
On Nov. 8, 2023, Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to play for the senior-level U.S. women's national team when she suited up for their Rivalry Series matchup versus Canada in Tempe, Ariz. She was one of the youngest players on the American roster, and she's been making an impact at the University of Wisconsin. In her second season with the Badgers, she's fifth in team scoring with 41 points. The call-up to the national team for the Rivalry Series certainly will not be her last, as it would be a safe bet to see her on the 2026 Olympic roster.
Jarome Iginla Becomes First Black NHLer to Score 50 Goals and Win the Art Ross, Ted Lindsay and Rocket Richard Trophies
The 2001-02 season was the campaign of Jarome Iginla.
Not only did Iginla propel himself into superstar status and become the face of the Calgary Flames, Iginla won the Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and the Rocket Richard Trophy. He recorded his first of three 90-point campaigns with 96 and his first 50-goal campaign with 52.
There could have been even more hardware for Iginla in 2001-02 as he was also a nominee for the King Clancy Award and the Hart Trophy. The latter actually saw a bit of controversy as Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore took home the award over Iginla. They both had the same points in the voting, but Jose Theodore had three more first-place votes than Iginla, which was the tiebreaker.
Iginla wasn't done earning hardware. In 2003-04, he'd once again win the Rocket Richard. He also became the first Black captain in Flames history and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy that season.
Quinton Byfield Becomes the Highest-Drafted Black NHL Player
When the Los Angeles Kings selected Quinton Byfield in second overall in 2020, he became the highest-drafted Black player. Only two other Black players had been drafted inside the top five of the NHL draft since it was first held in 1963: Seth Jones in 2013 and Evander Kane in 2009.
Byfield was the first overall pick of the 2018 OHL draft and, in two seasons with Sudbury, recorded 143 points. While the Kings have been taking their time with Byfield's development in the NHL, he's having his best season with Los Angeles right now, recording 42 points in 52 games and continuing to show there's a solid future for him in the Kings lineup.