Page 4 - Daniel Walcott News Today

Currently, about 3% of NHL players are Black, which is by far the lowest percentage of Black athletes among the “Big Four” North American, etc.

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...

First ever all-Black starting line makes NHL history "Moving forward in the league, you hope it isnt a story anymore and will be the norm. It was a pretty cool moment for all those guys," Tampa Bay Lighting coach Jon Cooper told ESPN about Mondays historic game. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team made history by becoming the first in the league to have an all-Black forward line. The forwards who starred in the pioneering moment were 27-year-old Daniel Walcott, 24-year-old Gemel Smi...

First all-Black forward starting line showcases Lightning, NHLs 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. "Theres 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...

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 ...

History Made When All-Black Line Starts an NHL Game (Image: NHL) There is, surprisingly, history still being made in sports that most wouldn’t have even considered. This is especially true in hockey, where more needs to be accomplished when it comes to feats involving Black players. Earlier this week, according to People, a National Hockey League team placed an all-Black starting line in a game for the first time in the history of the professional sports league. The NHL was founded in 1917. ...

Left to right: Daniel Walcott, Mathieu Joseph, and Gemel Smith Photo Credit: HOCKEYDB.COM, NHL.COM, HOCKEYDB.COM 10 minutes before the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers were set to face off on May 10th, Tampa coach Jon Cooper unveiled his lineup. For the first time in NHL history, three black men were assigned to a line together, and were given the nod to start the game for the team.  In a move that many around the league are praising, the Lightning started the game with Mathieu Jos...

The first all-Black lineup in the NHL brings back memories for Nova Scotian Percy Paris. He was in the same spot about 50 years ago as part of the first all-Black line in Canadian university hockey in the early 1970s.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Simon Ryfors to one-year, two-way contract Share this story Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they have signed Swedish forward Simon Ryfors to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2021-22 season. Ryfors will turn 24 years old in August and is listed at 5’10” and 181 pounds. Ryfors was never drafted in the NHL Entry Draft, but would have first been eligible for selection in the 2015 draft. Ryfors has spent the la...

Posted: May 11, 2021 9:26 PM AT | Last Updated: May 12 From left, Bob Dawson, Percy Paris and Darrell Maxwell played for the Saint Marys Huskies and made up the first all-Black line in Canadian university hockey in 1970.(Bob Dawson) A historic night for Black athletes in the NHL brought back memories for Nova Scotian Percy Paris of his own days on the ice. On Monday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning started three Black forwards in their regular-season finale against the Florida Panthers: Mathieu J...