Changing the Face of Hockey (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

By Cecil Harris
Published: December 22, 2007

“Why are you playing that white man’s game?” Gerald Coleman recalled the teacher, an African-American, saying. “I told him: ‘I don’t see hockey that way. I see it as a sport that I have fun with.’ What he said just made me more determined to make it in hockey and prove him wrong.”

As the goaltender for the Portland (Me.) Pirates of the American Hockey League, Coleman, 22, has seen his determination pay off. He is one of nearly four dozen black players to have competed in an N.H.L. game.



This Times article talks of what has transpired in the game since Willie O’Ree (now the N.H.L.’s diversity programming director) became the league’s first black player when he entered a game as a left wing for the Boston Bruins at Montreal on Jan. 18, 1958. The Bruins will honor O’Ree at a game against the New York Rangers on Jan. 19 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his debut.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/sports/hockey/22hockey.html?_r=1&ref=hockey&oref=slogin


Also, listen to Scott Simon's inspiring interview with Willie O'Ree (Did you know he also overcame losing an eye to play pro hockey ?):

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18045575


The NHL has compiled a vast amount of information about Willie O'Ree and diversity in the game:
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/2810