NIU Sociology of Sports Spring 2013: White Men Can't Jump and Black Men Can't Skate

Before 1958, the complexion of all hockey players in the National Hockey League was as white as the ice on which they skated. Known for his speed and stick handling, Willie O’Ree shattered the racial barrier in professional hockey. Since his debut with the Boston Bruins, however, only 38 other black players and even fewer Hispanics have hit the ice, according to NHL.com. Other major sports have seen drastic increases in the number of non-white athletes, but hockey remains a sport comprised of mostly whites. In order to diversify and broaden hockey’s market, youth hockey leagues need to be made more available in the inner-cities while combating preconceived notions about hockey.

Throughout North America, youth hockey leagues are typically located in white suburbs. In an effort to diversify the sport, the NHL has started various programs such as Hockey is for Everyone (HIFE) seeking to inspire hockey growth while making rinks and equipment available. Hockey is a relatively expensive sport, so these programs receive funding from the NHL to ease the financial burden in places that are commonly poverty-stricken. I live in a diverse, mixed-income neighborhood that recently constructed a hockey rink. Since its construction, I noticed an increase in the number of young black and Latino children expressing interest in the Blackhawks, the Wolves (an AHL team that practices there), and hockey in general.

Also, many blacks simply cannot relate to hockey. In a 2010 Chicago Tribune article during the Blackhawks playoff run, the black citizens of the West and South sides of Chicago expressed their immunity from “Hawks fever” despite being blocks away from the United Center. One citizen said that blacks widely consider it a “white man’s sport”. Gene Kitt of Seagram’s Upward Fund told the eventual founder of Ice Hockey in Harlem (IHIH), “Our people don’t play hockey.” African-American skaters like Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien and Latinos like ex-New Jersey Devil Bill Guerin try to spend time with the inner-city youth to change this preconceived notion. Guerin reports being proud of his Mexican roots, which adheres to Pooley’s work on assimilation theory who found that sport allows athletes to maintain ethnic identity (Birrell 1989:217). As discussed in class about MacLeod’s differentiation between aspirations and expectations, many inner-city blacks have high aspirations but tend to not know how to attain their goals. Programs like HIFE and IHIH not only teach hockey, but also encourage education as well so the aspirations can be met.

Perhaps the most threatening obstacle to diversification is combating racism. After netting a game-winner against Boston, Washington’s Joel Ward was met with hateful comments on Twitter, Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds had a banana thrown at him during a game in Ontario, and Montreal’s PK Subban is constantly receiving hatred (probably due to being the grinder on the league’s most hated team). However, hockey and all the other major sports must still struggle with racism. The NHL, like other sports leagues, makes it clear that prejudice will not be tolerated. O’Ree, now the director of youth development for the NHL’s diversity program, hopes that youth players, urban or otherwise, will rise above the hate and learn that hockey is for everyone.