In January, a defenseman in a development league, Brandon Manning, was suspended for using a racial slur during a game. has tried to promote diversity in recent years, but the number of black players remains relatively small. The first black player in the N.H.L., Willie O’Ree, didn’t take the ice until 1957, and since then, only about 100 black players have dressed for at least one game in the league. At least 30 black players have been on teams since the 2016-17 season, when a record four black players were named All-Stars. Still, only a handful of team captains has been black and there are no black head coaches in the N.H.L.

Source: New York Times June 08, 2020 15:21 UTC