While there are no players of color on the U.S. Olympic hockey team, Calgary star Jarome Iginla will again represent his native Canada in the games. Iginla became a Canadian cult hero when his outstanding play helped that nation with the hockey World Championships two years ago. He scored a goal and registered an assist in the championship game.
Iginla is the brightest minority star in the NHL, with 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points. Anson Carter of the Vancouver Canucks has 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points, and the St. Louis Blues’ Jamal Mayers had 10 goals and 11 assists before a fractured foot sidelined him for at least another month. Other minority forwards in the NHL include Mike Grier of the Buffalo Sabres (13 points), Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers (9 points) and Donald Brashear of the Philadelphia Flyers (4 points).
The league’s top minority defenseman is Trevor Daley of the Dallas Stars with two goals and 10 assists for 12 points. He is followed by Sean Brown of the New Jersey Devils with 11 points and the St. Louis Blues’ Bryce Salvador with five points.
The NHL’s leading black goaltender is Kevin Weekes who was the New York Rangers’ starter at the beginning of the season. However, rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is one of the league’s biggest surprises and his play has left Weekes on the bench the last few weeks. Weekes does have 18 of the Rangers’ 33 wins with a 3.11 goals against average.