In celebration of Black History Month 2020, the National Hockey League (NHL) has announced the return of the NHL Black Hockey History Tour presented by American Legacy for a second season. The Black History Month celebration is part of Hockey Is For Everyone, a joint NHL and NHLPA initiative that has celebrated diversity and inclusion in hockey since 1996.
This uniquely curated mobile museum will visit 14 NHL cities across North America to celebrate today’s stars, while also looking back at the pioneers and trailblazers who helped shape NHL history. It will stop in St. Louis at several locations, but will be open and free to the public at Kiener Plaza in Downtown St. Louis, during Winterfest, as part of the NHL All Star Game festivities. The Museum will be at Kiener Friday, January 25, from noon til 8pm.
This year’s museum has been refreshed and redesigned offering fans a new experience as they learn about some of the biggest moments, milestones, and playmakers in hockey. The museum will travel to schools, community rinks and NHL arenas, incorporating unique programming at each stop. A few museum highlights include:
- Firsts and milestones: an entire wall dedicated to celebrating achievements in black hockey history including the first black NHL player, first captain, and first inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Every black player in NHL history: every player in history will be represented throughout the museum, including via a uniquely designed ‘Wall of Pucks.’
- Team locker room: every stop will have a customized NHL locker room giving fans the opportunity to sit in a stall to take a photo.
NHL Diversity and Hockey Is For Everyone ambassador Willie O’Ree will make a special appearance at select tour stops. Since 1998, O’Ree – the first Black player ever to play in the NHL – has established 39 local grassroots hockey programs, traveling to more than 500 schools, community centers and rinks to share his inspiring story and the values hockey teaches: perseverance, teamwork, and dedication. Today, there are 26 Hockey Is For Everyone youth hockey programs serving 10,000 kids across North America each year. Hockey Is For Everyone is a year-round campaign with League, Club, and player participation.
