While growing up, Renee Hess wasn’t into sports, but as an adult she was hooked once she watched hockey.
Sports: a space for local and national sports news, with emphasis on stories pertaining to African Americans.
‘Soul on Ice’ chronicles overlooked Black hockey history
Kwame Damon Mason’s 2016 documentary ‘Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future’ tells the untold story of the Coloured Hockey League.
Minnesota women’s hockey on a roll
Women’s hockey dominated this reporter’s attention last weekend. Minnesota (31-5-1) defeated Princeton 5-2 last Saturday at Ridder Arena to advance to the program’s 14th Frozen Four appearance. The Gophers will play Cornell in the first of two semifinals Friday at Hamden, Conn.
Women’s hockey internship has steep learning curve
The National Women Hockey League’s (NWHL’s) first-year Minnesota Whitecaps is the first local pro team in this century to have someone not White working in its marketing and public relations department.
The color of hockey: Diversity on the rise in women’s pro hockey
On the surface, this isn’t unusual, but in Bolden’s and Johnson’s case, the two female pucksters are among the small handful of Black hockey players.
The color of hockey: The current state of diversity in a traditionally ‘White’ sport
Hockey is still seen as a White sport. Some believe it should stay that way forever.
Few Blacks spotted at hockey tournament
This column continues the Only One series in which this reporter shares his experiences as one of the only African American journalists on the scene. A Black person who watches hockey sometimes feels like a space invader in an all-White puck universe. In five games over three days – three of them finished in overtime, […]
Black fans all but nonexistent at Frozen Faceoff
This column continues the Only One series in which this reporter shares his experiences as the only African American journalist on the scene. It took four walk-arounds inside the downtown Minneapolis arena before we finally accomplished our simple goal: finding a Black fan. “I am very excited to be here,” admitted Isaac Johnson, a sixth […]
Wild have shot at Stanley Cup
When I walk into Xcel Center and sometimes after finishing a sports update, I get calls, questions, emails and text messages asking why I talk about hockey. Perception is not reality. Many assume that Black people don’t like hockey or don’t know the game. Wrong. I grew up in Chicago where the Blackhawks were the […]
Wild hire Bruce Boudreau
Four years in a row the Minnesota Wild have reached the Stanley Cup playoffs, and tickets are very tough to get at Xcel Center — 19,000 occupied seats with standing-room only has been the attendance for virtually all 41 home dates.