Hockey and Its Struggle with Underrepresentation

Written by Liam T. Buchanan

Instagram: @buchananliam

Twitter: @_buchananliam

Thumbnail Photo by Boxscore

Growing up in New Brunswick, I was just like most children who were either enrolled in minor hockey or asked their parents to be. My case was the latter since my father never thought to sign me up for hockey. It was only when I came home from school one afternoon in 2008 asking to sign up that he thought of doing so. This stemmed from his own experience, as he was not fiscally fortunate enough as a kid to play hockey; instead, he played football and baseball. Sadly, not everyone is privileged enough to have a family that can pool money into a sport to make them happy, especially when it comes to hockey. Sports such as basketball and soccer are much cheaper, which I knew because I would always hear about the costs of my hockey season vis à vis my sister’s basketball costs. 

Because hockey is a gruelling monetary jab to one’s passbook, it is generally well-known (but not talked about as much as it should be) that the sport is dominated by middle-to-upper class children whose parents or guardians can afford to enroll them. Moreover, these economic discrepancies bleed into the sport’s demographics, highlighting the fact that there’s a significant underrepresentation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) athletes. WDET 101.9FM, located in Detroit, MI, reported in January 2020 that there are only 43 BIPOC National Hockey League (NHL) players, representing under 5% of the total players in the League. It was only in 1958 that an athlete from my home province of New Brunswick, Willie O’Ree, broke the colour barrier of the NHL when he was called up by the Boston Bruins to play against the historic Montréal Canadiens. Twelve years later, three African Nova Scotians suited up for the Saint Mary’s University Men’s Ice Hockey Team and became the first all-black line in Canadian university hockey history. These trailblazers are Percy Paris, Bob Dawson, and Darrell Maxwell. I spoke with Mr. Paris about his experience as an ethnic minority playing a racially one-sided sport, and how this led him to become a public servant for all Nova Scotians, being elected as an MLA for the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2006 to 2013, and serving three different ministerial positions simultaneously. 

Photo by Boxscore. Bob Dawson (left), Percy Paris (centre), and Darrell Maxwell (right) smile for a photo wearing SMU Huskies hockey jerseys.

I chose to speak with Percy because he and his former teammates, who are all still friends to this day and regularly keep in contact, were recently in the news. The Tampa Bay Lightning, an NHL franchise, recently made history when they had three black players on the same starting line, consisting of Daniel Walcott, Mathieu Joseph, and Gemel Smith. Regarding this historic moment, Mr. Paris  “felt that this was long overdue,” but also acknowledges that it takes time for change to manifest. 

Percy told me that he experienced racism “from when [he] first put on a pair of skates to play hockey.” He stressed the need to acknowledge that the racist remarks progressed as he aged and played in recreational leagues throughout the HRM. Furthermore, what shocked me was the fact that he continues to experience prejudice as he ages, demonstrating that anti-Black racism is still alive and well. Racism is ultimately not just an issue within local leagues: it is also prevalent in the NHL. I remember being dumbfounded as a kid hearing about Wayne Simmonds, whose father is from North Preston, having a banana thrown at him during an exhibition game in London, Ontario in 2011. At the time, he was a player for the Philadelphia Flyers; today, he plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In recent news, Ethan Bear, an Indigenous Canadian who is a defenseman for the Edmonton Oilers, received racist remarks through tweets and messages after the Oilers were swept in the playoffs on Victoria Day against the Winnipeg Jets.

Photo by Nova Scotia Government. Percy Paris in 2011 while a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the New Democratic Party (NDP).

Percy’s decision to become a public servant as the MLA for the Waverly-Fall River-Beaverbank district stems from his experience as an African Nova Scotian. He told me that the main factor in his decision to run for office was that he felt there was a lack of diversity in the House of Assembly, as well as that the views held by the incumbent did not reflect his values pertaining to diversity and equality. As an MLA, Percy Paris held three ministerial positions for the New Democratic Party (NDP): Minister of Economic and Rural Development; Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage; and Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs.

When speaking about racial emancipation for racialized individuals in both the private and public sector, Mr. Paris stated that, “we have made some progress, but there are reasons for that progress, and hockey still has a long way to go, as does society in general. What has taken the NHL so long [to implement change] while other major sports leagues are way ahead of them? Strange, but the only time I was ever heckled during my political career happened at SMU by an employee of the university. We have made progress, but in the same breath, there are more individuals of African descent playing the game of hockey now and have the skills.”

Percy’s story and the thoughts of a former public servant regarding racial inequalities must be listened to by people of all walks of life. It gives insight into his experiences and allows us to further understand prejudices that exist in the contemporary world. To answer Mr. Paris’ question as to why it has taken the NHL so long to implement change compared to other major sports leagues, I believe it is partially due to the socioeconomic discrepancies between our social classes. Hockey is becoming an ever-growing expense for families, which results in parents and guardians not signing their children up for organized hockey. There is more equipment required to play hockey than other sports such as basketball, soccer, and tennis, and the price per hour to rent ice is astronomical. In short, hockey is a sport for the economic elite. While I am thankful I had the opportunity as a kid to play, I nonetheless sympathize with those who can’t. Moreover, I sympathize with Mr. Paris and others who have experienced hatred.

I want to thank Percy Paris on the behalf of The Journal for taking time out of his day to speak with me regarding his experience as a hockey player for the Huskies, a public servant, and an African Nova Scotian. We wish you the best in your future endeavours!