• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

Hockey player a pro sports pioneer

by Charles Hallman
October 7, 2015
41
SHARES
812
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

 

SOECharlesHallmansquareBlake Bolden the first Black player in new women’s league

 

Blake Bolden
Blake Bolden

Blake Bolden is an honest-to-goodness professional hockey player. She is among the pioneering players in the inaugural National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), which began this past weekend.

Bolden played for two seasons in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), but she and the other players didn’t get paid. Now she and her fellow NWHLers are expecting to be paid. She signed this summer as a free agent with the Boston Pride.

The MSR contacted her shortly after her signing and spoke to her by phone.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the CWHL,” said Bolden. “It was great competition. But it was tough to travel every weekend, being the only American on the team and working a full-time job” at a nonprofit organization that works with Boston area youth.

Bolden, a 2013 Boston College graduate who also played hockey there, finished as the third all-time scoring defensemen. “I thought about going overseas [after graduation] but I didn’t really wanted to be overseas alone,” she recalled.

But the CWHL called and, two seasons later, the NWHL.

“It’s nice that I can be home in my apartment in Massachusetts,” continued Bolden, who now lives in Boston but originally is from Ohio. “It’s comforting to know that [the NWHL] can get better in the future.”

She is the NWHL’s first Black player.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“Being the first [Black player] on (her former Canadian) team, and now being in the first league ever played in America, I just think that’s amazing,” said Bolden. “Growing up, I honestly didn’t know anything like this could happen.

“I was always an athletic kid,” stated Bolden. “I started playing hockey when I was seven years old. My mom was a single parent, and she met this wonderful man who became my father. His favorite sport was ice hockey.”

Her adopted father would regularly take the young Bolden with him to his part-time job at the Cleveland’s minor league hockey games. “I would get into the games for free. I would go into the locker room and meet the players, and they would come to my birthday parties. I just fell in love with the sport.” This, Bolden said, helped “developed a relationship between” her adopted father and herself.

“Being athletic, I picked up [hockey] pretty quickly.” Until she reached high school, Bolden played “on a small team of boys.” She then attended a New York prep school, where “I realized I was a decent hockey player and I could go play hockey in college and could get a scholarship, which I did.”

With no women’s hockey players to emulate, “I used to like Brett Hull — his slap shot was amazing. I wore his Number 13 in high school,” said Bolden.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

At Boston College, “I was a free spirit. College was the greatest time as a player to learn and be more mature. I was captain my senior year and I did a pretty [good] job leading my team to three Frozen Four appearances in a row. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Now a pro hockey player, Bolden can be a role model for younger Black females. “I only hope to make the opportunity for all African American women or men easy as it is for any other skin color playing ice hockey. This is a sport where you can [play] and don’t have to feel like Black people can’t do that.”

Related content: The Only One | Surveying the lack of diversity in college hockey

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.

 

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

MSR introduces new environmental justice column: According to us, Clean Power

Next Post

Twins temp workers’ update

Charles Hallman

Charles Hallman is a contributing reporter and award-winning sports columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

You Might Also Like

McCarthy’s downfall: Rogue Republicans remove House speaker in unprecedented vote
National

McCarthy’s downfall: Rogue Republicans remove House speaker in unprecedented vote

Facing criticism, feds award first maternal health grant to a predominantly Black rural area
National

Facing criticism, feds award first maternal health grant to a predominantly Black rural area

Upcoming Black Business Ball gives Black-owned businesses a night to shine
Local

Upcoming Black Business Ball gives Black-owned businesses a night to shine

Minneapolis police officers head to Alabama for HBCU recruiting trip
Local

Minneapolis police officers head to Alabama for HBCU recruiting trip

Ampersand Families
Employment

Human Resources Manager, ampersand families

Program Coordinator
Employment

Office Coordinator

Next Post
Twins temp workers’ update

Twins temp workers’ update

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Oct 3
October 3 @ 8:30 am-October 4 @ 5:30 pm

Insects: Little Body, Big Impact | Nobel Conference 59 | Virtual or In-Person

Oct 4
6:00 pm-8:00 pm

An Evening with Liz Cheney

Oct 5
7:00 pm-9:00 pm

The Bombing of Cubana Flight 455: Why it Matters

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

PHOTO: Barbie back-to-school party

A Barbie back to school party.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: