It started with the legendary Willie O'Ree, who broke the color barrier in the NHL nearly sixty-two years ago. Willie paved the way for players like Grant Fuhr, Donald Brashear, Georges Laraque Jarome Iginla, P.K. Subban, Evander Kane, Wayne Simmonds, Anthony Duclair, Seth Jones and countless others who have aspired to - and continue to aspire to - play the great game of hockey.
While the path to the NHL is not easy for any player, regardless of their skin pigmentation, there is no doubt that it has been exceedingly more difficult for players of color to break through and reach the highest level due, in part, to the social inequities that have existed within the game for generations.
Despite the fact that these inequities have been a huge issue in previous generations, it seems that the game may very well be on the verge of adopting a much more inclusive culture, in light of recent events.
The most beautiful thing about this is how much it will benefit the sport as a whole. Not just on the ice, but with the fanbase as well. Hockey is a game that is supposed to be for everyone.
With this in mind, let's take a look at seven players of color who are playing important roles for their respective countries (Canada, USA and Finland) in the IIHF World Junior Championship, per William Douglas, "The Color of Hockey" blog and NHL.com.
Quinton Byfield, F, Sudbury, OHL
"A combination of size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), skill and speed, Byfield is the third-leading scorer in the OHL with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 30 games. He said playing for Canada at the World Juniors is a dream come true."
K'Andre Miller, D, University of Wisconsin
"The 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman is an alternate captain for the United States and a returnee from the 2019 U.S. team that won a silver medal in Vancouver. Miller, 19, was selected by the New York Rangers in the first round (No. 22) of the 2018 NHL Draft. He leads the Big Ten defensemen in goals this season with six and is third among defensemen in points with 11."
Nick Robertson, F, Peterborough, OHL
"The highly-skilled 5-foot-9, 161-pound forward is Peterborough's fourth-leading scorer with 35 points (23 goals, 12 assists) in 22 games. Robertson, whose mother is Filipino, was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (No. 53) of the 2019 Draft. Older brother Jason Robertson is a Dallas Stars prospect who played for the United States at the World Juniors last year."
Akil Thomas, F, Niagara, OHL
"The speedy 19-year-old playmaker is Niagara's captain and is tied for the team lead with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 27 games. The Los Angeles Kings selected Thomas in the second round (No. 51) of the 2018 draft. The 6-foot, 180-pound forward comes from a hockey family. His father, Kahlil Thomas, played in several minor leagues and is an assistant with Greenville in the ECHL. His uncle, Leo Thomas, is also a former career minor league player who coaches Macon in the Southern Professional Hockey League. He's the only black professional head coach in North America."
Jordan Harris, D, Northeastern University
"Harris, 19, is sixth on Northeastern in scoring with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 18 games, matching his scoring output in 39 games last season. The Montreal Canadiens selected the 5-foot-11, 179-pound puck-moving defenseman from Haverhill, Massachusetts, in the third round (No. 71) of the 2018 NHL Draft. Harris' family also has hockey roots: His father, Peter, was a goalie drafted by the New York Islanders in the eighth round (No. 164) in 1986. Jordan's older brother, Elijah, is a goalie for Endicott College, an NCAA Division III school."
Isaiah Saville, G, University of Nebraska-Omaha
"Saville, a 19-year-old left-hand goalie, is a backup for the United States. A freshman starter for UNO, he's the fifth-leading goalie in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's with a 6-5-2 record, 3.04 GAA and .889 save percentage. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound native of Anchorage, Alaska, was the Goaltender of the Year in the USHL as a rookie last season with a 25-3-2-1 record, a league-leading 1.90 GAA and a second-best .926 save percentage.
The Vegas Golden Knights chose Saville in the fifth round (No. 135) in the 2019 Draft. He was the second U.S.-born goalie drafted behind starter Spencer Knight, who was a first round (No. 13) selection of the Florida Panthers."
Joonas Oden, F, KooKoo, Liiga
"Oden, a 2020 draft-eligible forward born in Benton City, Washington, has six points (two goals, four assists) in 25 games this season for KooKoo in Liiga, Finland's top pro league. Oden, 19, had 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) in 44 games for KooKoo's Under-20 team last season. He had three points (one goal, two assists) for Finland in last year's World Juniors."
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