This season, the NHL has intensified its focus on diversity and inclusion to make hockey more accessible for players at all levels. The mission now is to grow the game by growing the number of minorities who take part in it – both as coaches, referees, players and front-office executives.

Black players in the NHL

As the league continues to push for more diversity, it’s worth looking at how many African-American players have made an impact in the NHL.

Roughly 20 percent of all current NHL players are minorities. Sixteen percent are Black, according to 2014-15 statistics provided by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at University of Central Florida.

The first African-American player to claim a regular place in the league was goaltender Grant Fuhr, who entered the NHL in 1981 with the Edmonton Oilers after winning back-to-back Memorial Cups with his hometown Hamilton Steelhawks of the Ontario Hockey League. He went on to record 403 victories over 20 seasons – seven more than legendary Bruins goaltender Terry Sawchuk.

Fuhr, the current goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames , is one of just four currently employed “builders” who are helping to shape the NHL’s diversity initiatives.

The list of Black players in league history also includes Mike Grier, Bill Riley, Tony McKegney, Willie O’Ree, Donald Audette, Jamal Mayers and the current co-owner of the National Women’s Hockey League’s Buffalo Beauts: Natalie Darwitz.

How many black players are there in the nhl

The NHL is a different landscape now than it was when Willie O’Ree broke through barriers for Black players. Today, more than 20 percent of players on NHL rosters are minorities – a number that’s more reflective of the U.S. population as a whole – and fans across North America have embraced them as heroes and role models for their communities.

Black players in the NHL As the league continues to push for more diversity, it’s worth looking at how many African-American players have made an impact in the NHL.

Roughly 20 percent of all current NHL players are minorities. Sixteen percent are Black, according to 2014-15 statistics provided by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at University of Central Florida. The first African-American player to claim a regular place in the league was goaltender Grant Fuhr, who entered the NHL in 1981 with the Edmonton Oilers after winning back-to-back Memorial Cups with his hometown Hamilton Steelhawks of the Ontario Hockey League.

The history of black players in the NHL

The NHL is a different landscape now than it was when Willie O’Ree broke through barriers for Black players. Today, more than 20 percent of players on NHL rosters are minorities – a number that’s more reflective of the U.S. population as a whole – and fans across North America have embraced them as heroes and role models for their communities.

Black players in the NHL As the league continues to push for more diversity, it’s worth looking at how many African-American players have made an impact in the NHL. Roughly 20 percent of all current NHL players are minorities.

Sixteen percent are Black, according to 2014-15 statistics provided by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at University of Central Florida. The first African-American player to claim a regular place in the league was goaltender Grant Fuhr, who entered the NHL in 1981 with the Edmonton Oilers after winning back-to-back Memorial Cups with his hometown Hamilton Steelhawks of the Ontario Hockey League.

The history of black players in the NHL The NHL is a different landscape now than it was when Willie O’Ree broke through barriers for Black players. Today, more than 20 percent of players on NHL rosters are minorities – a number that’s more reflective of the U.S. population as a whole – and fans across North America have embraced them as heroes and role models for their communities.