The NHL and NHLPA plans to feature emerging Black excellence in hockey, including junior and collegiate players impressing in their respective leagues.
Tij IginlaFebruary marks Black History Month, and the NHL and NHLPA announced plans to celebrate it with their "Next Generation of Hockey History" campaign.
The joint NHL and NHL Players' Association campaign aims to recognize emerging Black excellence in the hockey world and the "commitment and dedication required to break barriers and become changemakers" in the sport, according to a news release.
Among the voices and stories this campaign will feature include 2024 NHL draft-eligible prospects Tij Iginla, Cayden Lindstrom and EJ Emery. WHL Medicine Hat's Lindstrom ranks fifth in Ryan Kennedy's mid-term NHL draft rankings published Thursday, while Kelowna's Iginla ranks 11th, and the USA Hockey National Team Development Program's Emery slots in at No. 25.
A 2025 draft-eligible winger, Malcolm Spence, and NCAA forward Brent Keefer will also be featured.
“Hockey history is happening right now,” Kim Davis, the NHL's senior executive vice-president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. “When we assess the progress we’ve made, it is made visible by the diverse representation playing the game at the youth, junior and collegiate levels — hockey is becoming a part of the fabric of more families and communities than ever before.”
It's important to the players that every person can be part of hockey, said Chris Campoli, an NHLPA divisional player representative.
“That means continuing to embrace diversity, taking positive steps toward increased accessibility, and breaking down oppressive systems and stereotypes,” Campoli said in the release.
Fans attending the NHL Fan Fair in Toronto during All-Star Weekend can also see the latest stop of the United By Hockey Mobile Museum tour, which features diverse changemakers and trailblazers in hockey.