Mike Grier, First Black American Born player in the NHL
It is well known that Willie O'Ree, Boston Bruins, 1958 was the first player NHL Hockey African origin. But, with the exception of seven games that Val James played for Buffalo in 1981, it took Mike Grier played Edmonton, Washington and San Jose from 1996 to today that African-American player could have a career in the NHL.
Grier comes from a football family. His father, Bobby Grier is a former NFL running back coach and current Associate Director of Pro Scouting for the Houston Texans. His brother Chris scouts for the Miami Dolphins and his uncle is Rosie Grier, star of a defensive role in the fight against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mike Grier was born in Detroit, but it was a move to Boston at the age of three he Puck said prospectus made his hockey career in motion.
"My family was in the city center there (Detroit), so I do not know if I been playing hockey. I could play basketball or football, or try to do something like this, "said Mike Grier." I do not know if I would have never got into hockey. Hockey was something when we moved to Boston – my older brother, Chris, and his friends began to play, so I sort of tags along the ice. And when we visited my cousins in Detroit, none of them played hockey, or had any interest in it at all, so I'd probably do something else for a living. I'm glad this is not the case. "
Mike Grier is a third line forward for the San Jose Sharks, the team with the best record in the regular season in the NHL this year. On a team with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, Grier is not expected to score (he had only 10 goals and 13 assists last season), but it is an important cog in the Sharks penalty kill.
"On the ice, I'm more of a defensive player, a third line guy who plays physical, he said." I am responsible defensively and leadership for the team. Maybe I'll chip in some goals from time to time. "
"There's charisma Mike Grier's character, "the former Sharks defenseman Kyle McLaren told the San Francisco Chronicle." The guys feed off of intensity it brings. "The charisma, leadership and intensity that Grier gives Sharks are reflected in the 'A' he wears on his jersey as one of the captains of San Jose.
Grier has been well publicized incident related to race in his hockey career. Skating for Oilers against the Washington Capitols in 1997, Grier allegedly made derogatory comments about the Ojibwa Native American Heritage Chris Simon, and Simon would have responded with a racial slur to Grier. Although the words have never been confirmed, Simon was suspended three games after of the incident.
Despite this incident, Mike Grier sees a bright future for African Americans interested in careers in hockey. "The game has changed a lot since I started. There are more African-American children, and minorities, playing hockey at all levels now than there were before. I do not know if it's just the evolution of culture in general, but it's nice to see, "he said Puck prospectus. "It's helped that we had guys like Jerome Iginla (a Canadian of African descent) who was the Captain of Team Canada and was a great success, winning the scoring titles and things like that.
"Thus, more successful than we have as a group, it just helps spread the word that if a child is young African-American and want to play hockey, you can play. I guess it's just part of how life goes. "
In addition to the Oilers and the Sharks, Mike Grier has spent time with the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabers. He just finished his third season in San Jose.
About the Author
Paul Hirsch is a writer for
; Regal Black Mens Magazine
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