La grande petite histoire de Daniel Walcott rds.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rds.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Anthony Dunclair, who is Black, also shared his reaction to seeing the #BlackManMagic at the game.
“That’s great to see,” he said, ESPN reported. “The way that the NHL is moving forward, it’s great to see for those guys, and I’m sure it was a special night for them.”
As noted by TMZ, less than five percent of NHL players are Black or males of color, FiveThirtyEight reported last October. Smith and Walcott, who played in his first NHL game, aren’t regulars on the Tampa Bay roster, and Smith has played sparingly this season.
“Honestly, it was pretty awesome,” Joseph said … adding, “I think it’s a step in the right direction and obviously you got to thank the coaching staff for that, it was their call.”
First all-Black forward starting line showcases Lightning, NHL s focus on diversity
Evan Axelbank reports
TAMPA, Fla. - The first faceoff Monday night between the Lightning and Panthers was also the first of its kind. An historic starting lineup, said Lightning play-by-play announcer Dave Randorf. There s another look at Daniel Wolcott playing with Mathieu Joseph and Gemel Smith.
It was the first time a full line of forward players who are Black started an NHL game. Maybe it is a story today, but as the league gets more diverse, you hope it is not going to be a story anymore and it is just going to be the norm, said head coach Jon Cooper.
May 13—When a puck smacked the ice at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, on Monday night to start the last game of the Tampa Bay Lightning's regular season, it heralded a little bit of hockey history. Willie O'Ree, wherever he happened to be, was surely smiling. The Lightning called up Daniel Walcott for his first game in the NHL, and coach Jon Cooper rostered him on the top line with Gemel .