Black Ice - CHL Colored Hockey League, Nova Scotia
Summary
TLDRThe video explores the largely unknown history of the Colored Hockey League (CHL) of the Maritimes, founded in the 1890s by descendants of American slaves in Nova Scotia. Historians George and Daryl Fosty argue that modern hockey innovations like the slap shot and aggressive goaltending originated in this league, not with the traditionally credited white players. The CHL offered a platform for Black athletes to challenge social norms and showcase athletic talent. Despite its influence, the league’s contributions remain underrecognized, and efforts are underway to bring this forgotten legacy to light.
Takeaways
- 📅 Black History Month celebrates pioneers such as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.
- 🏒 Hockey is often considered a predominantly white sport, but its roots have significant Black contributions.
- 📚 Historians George and Daryl Fausty argue that hockey was influenced by Black Americans and Nova Scotian descendants of slaves.
- ⛸️ The Colored Hockey League (CHL) of the Maritimes, founded in 1895, introduced innovations like the slap shot and athletic goaltending.
- ⛪ The CHL was rooted in the church, emphasizing sportsmanship and athleticism over brute force.
- 🥅 CHL's players, including Henry Franklin, revolutionized goalie techniques decades before the NHL adopted them.
- 🏆 The CHL's success, with Black teams defeating white teams, often led to these teams avoiding rematches.
- 🕰️ Despite its contributions, the CHL collapsed after World War I and was largely forgotten by history.
- 📝 Efforts to acknowledge the CHL are still ongoing, with plans for a Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame in Nova Scotia.
- 🎖️ The NHL has yet to officially recognize the contributions of the CHL, despite recent discussions with the Fausty brothers.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the transcript?
-The transcript focuses on the contributions of black athletes to hockey, particularly the largely forgotten history of the Colored Hockey League (CHL) and its influence on modern hockey, challenging the traditional narrative that credits only white players.
Who are George and Daryl Fausty, and what is their thesis regarding hockey's origins?
-George and Daryl Fausty are historians who argue that the roots of modern hockey, including innovations like the slap shot and athletic goaltending, were introduced by black players in the Colored Hockey League (CHL) of the Maritimes, not by the white pioneers who are often credited.
What role did the Underground Railroad play in the history of the CHL?
-The Underground Railroad helped ferry runaway slaves to Canada, particularly Nova Scotia, where many settled and later contributed to the creation of the Colored Hockey League (CHL), as part of a larger legacy of African American resilience and ingenuity.
What was the significance of the Colored Hockey League (CHL) according to the transcript?
-The CHL was significant because it introduced key hockey innovations, such as the slap shot and more aggressive goaltending, long before these techniques were adopted in the NHL. It also provided a platform for black athletes to compete and prove their athleticism in a predominantly white sport.
How did the CHL differ from traditional hockey leagues of the time?
-The CHL emphasized sportsmanship, faith, and athleticism over brute force, which contrasted with the rougher style of play in other leagues. The league used the Bible as a rule book, adding a spiritual dimension to the game.
Who was Henry Franklin, and what was his contribution to hockey?
-Henry Franklin was a goaltender for the Dartmouth Jubilees in the CHL. He is believed to be the first goaltender to play in a non-upright position, a style that would later become standard in hockey.
Why did the CHL eventually collapse, and what happened to its legacy?
-The CHL collapsed after World War I, and within a generation, it had largely disappeared from collective memory, even among Black Nova Scotians. Its innovations were forgotten or ignored by mainstream hockey history.
What has been the response from mainstream hockey organizations to the CHL's history?
-Although the CHL's contributions are not yet officially recognized by institutions like the Hockey Hall of Fame, the NHL has listened to George and Daryl Fausty’s research and is in discussions with them about the CHL's history.
What role does the Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame aim to play in preserving this history?
-The Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame, led by Craig Smith, aims to give proper recognition to the contributions of Black athletes in hockey, including those from the CHL, and to highlight their overlooked legacy.
What challenges exist in getting recognition for the contributions of Black athletes to hockey?
-One major challenge is overcoming the entrenched historical narrative that credits white pioneers with hockey's innovations. Changing this narrative requires fighting against long-held beliefs and securing recognition for Black athletes who were integral to the sport’s development.
Outlines
📚 Celebrating Black History Month: Honoring Pioneers and Education
Black History Month is a time to celebrate well-known figures like Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali, recognizing their achievements. However, it is also a time for education, allowing us to learn about lesser-known historic figures whose contributions have been overlooked. Jeremy Shap introduces the story of black athletes who have been largely left out of history, especially in the world of hockey.
🏒 Black Roots in Hockey: A Forgotten Legacy
Although hockey is often seen as a predominantly white sport, historians George and Daryl Fosty challenge this belief. They argue that the roots of modern hockey, including innovations like the slap shot and athletic goaltending, can be traced back to black athletes in the Colored Hockey League (CHL) of Nova Scotia. These innovations were introduced by descendants of American slaves who settled in the region after escaping via the Underground Railroad. However, much of this history was lost or ignored.
⛪ The Underground Railroad and the Rise of the Colored Hockey League
The story of the Colored Hockey League (CHL) is tied to the legacy of the Underground Railroad. Many runaway slaves from the United States escaped to Nova Scotia, where they eventually helped form the CHL in the late 19th century. Organized initially as a church league, the CHL emphasized sportsmanship and athleticism over brute force. This marked a significant social development for the black community, using hockey as a vehicle to gain equal footing with the larger white population.
🏅 CHL's Innovative Play Style and Decline
The CHL was known for its creative and fast-paced play style, which included the slap shot—a technique credited to white NHL players decades later. Goaltenders like Henry 'Braces' Franklin, despite his small stature, were aggressive and broke conventional norms, introducing new methods of play. Although the CHL flourished in the early 20th century, attracting significant audiences, it eventually collapsed after World War I and faded from collective memory, even within the black Nova Scotian community.
⏳ Black Athletes' Contributions Erased from Hockey History
Despite the contributions of the CHL, black athletes have been largely erased from mainstream hockey history. The Hockey Hall of Fame does not recognize these pioneers, and black players like Willie O'Ree, who broke the NHL color barrier in 1958, receive limited acknowledgment. Efforts are being made to build a Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame in Nova Scotia to rectify this oversight and honor those who helped shape the game.
📖 Struggling for Recognition: The Fight to Acknowledge Black Pioneers in Hockey
The CHL's impact on modern hockey remains unrecognized by official bodies like the NHL. The Fosty brothers have presented their findings to the NHL's Diversity Task Force, but no official recognition has been granted to the Colored Hockey League. The struggle to give these black pioneers their rightful place in hockey history continues, as their contributions to the sport have been overshadowed for over a century.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Black History Month
💡Colored Hockey League (CHL)
💡Underground Railroad
💡Slap Shot
💡Henry Franklin
💡Jericho, New York
💡Nova Scotia
💡Innovation in Hockey
💡Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass
💡Recognition and Legacy
Highlights
February is celebrated as Black History Month, honoring pioneers like Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.
Black History Month is an educational opportunity to learn about lesser-known figures, including black athletes erased from history.
Historians George and Daryl Fosty argue that hockey's roots are black and American, contrary to conventional wisdom.
The Fosty brothers authored 'Black Ice,' which chronicles the lost history of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes.
According to the Fosties, hockey innovations like the slap shot, athletic goaltending, and advanced skating were first introduced by black athletes in Nova Scotia.
The Colored Hockey League (CHL) was founded in Nova Scotia by descendants of American slaves, dating back to 1895.
The CHL emphasized sportsmanship and athleticism over brute force, with roots tied to faith and the church.
Henry Franklin of the Dartmouth Jubilees was the first goaltender to play in a more aggressive, upright style in the CHL, predating NHL techniques.
The CHL's slap shot was referenced as 'baseball hockey,' introduced 50 years before its official debut in the NHL.
The CHL flourished in the early 20th century, attracting large crowds and often beating strong white teams.
Despite black teams defeating white teams, rematches were often avoided due to fear and prejudice.
The Colored Hockey League collapsed after World War I, with its legacy largely forgotten by mainstream history.
The Hockey Hall of Fame does not currently recognize the contributions of the CHL to modern hockey.
The Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame in Nova Scotia aims to recognize and celebrate black contributions to the sport.
The NHL has begun discussions with the Fosties about the CHL's history, though there is no official recognition yet.
Transcripts
during February we celebrate Black
History Month in particular the Pioneers
from Booker T Washington and Frederick
Douglass to sports figures Jackie
Robinson and Muhammad Ali many names are
familiar as are their achievements but
more than a celebration Black History
Month is also about education a chance
to learn about other historic figures
whose stories are largely unknown Jeremy
shapnow on some black athletes frozen
out of the history books
[Music]
not the faces of hockey
of the four major team sports
hockey is by far the whitest
conventional wisdom holds that the game
was pioneered and codified by
ruddy-faced men of French and Scotch
Irish extraction
men who look nothing like these men
[Music]
but it turns out that the game has never
been Lilly White
not even a hundred years ago
not anyway according to historians
George and Daryl fausty they argue that
hockey's roots are black
and American a lot of this history was
either conveniently ignored lost or
simply forgotten
the brothers fosti are the authors of
black ice the Lost history of the
colored Hockey League of the maritimes
their thesis is simple yet astounding
hockey as we now know it The Slap Shot
athletic goaltending and skating was
introduced not by the white men who
generally get the credit but years
earlier in Nova Scotia by the sons and
grandsons of American slaves
just obstacles we have in revealing This
research is the fact people say no it
can't be true we've already credited
certain individuals with some of these
Innovations you must be wrong
The Story begins not in Canada but here
in Jericho New York on Long Island today
the main made-in is a restaurant
in the mid-19th century it was the home
of Abigail Hicks who would hide runaway
slaves in her attic in fact the
Underground Railroad on Long Island
which ferried slaves to freedom in
Canada was operated out of this nearby
Church
runaways came up and a lot of them they
hid out so they can continue up to
Canada and a lot of them stayed in the
community
Drakeford Levi's ancestor eliakim Levi
was among those who stayed on Long
Island helping hundreds of other
runaways find their way to Canada
mostly the Halifax the capital of Nova
Scotia
the rugged Windswept Province 700 miles
Northeast of Long Island
eventually these former slaves would
help create the colored Hockey League
if you look at the history of CHL you
see that the real Legacy of the CHL is
that these this is the Underground
Railroad Legacy and that is the legacy
of that keyless modern hockey
the fosties say that the colored Hockey
League was organized more than 30 years
after the last runaway slaves reached
Nova Scotia in about 1895.
initially a church league the players
adhered to a declaration of faith that
emphasized sportsmanship and athleticism
over Brute Force
when I found out this league had used
the Bible as a rule book for playing
hockey s's wow this is profound
Wayne Adams was born and raised in
Halifax his father grandfather and great
uncle played in the colored Hockey
League the church did everything in
terms of the social status and Social
Development of black people in this
province and throughout North America
they saw this as an opportunity to to
move up socially and climb a social
ladder and gain equal footing with the
larger White Community it was the
ultimate goal being that one day blacks
will be equal and Sport will be the
Catalyst to make that occur
in the absence of brawling the hockey
played in the CHL was a lively
offensively creative game 50 years
before boom boom jeffreyon introduced
The Slap Shot to the NHL the fosties say
it was a staple of the game in the CHL
you see references describing what they
called then with baseball hockey which
was a slap shot they didn't have the
name for it back then but one thing or
another they were they were slapping
that that puck down the ice 50 years
ahead of everybody else
frosties claimed that the first
goaltender to play not just in an
upright position was Henry Franklin of
the Dartmouth jubilees who stood three
foot six
Henry brace is Franklin was aggressive
and goal
the argument's been the reason he was
the first player to go down on Ice was
as some people are sarcastic they said
he was already there
just after the turn of the 20th century
the CHL was flourishing from Nova Scotia
to nearby New Brunswick and Prince
Edward Island games might attract as
many as 1200 fans despite drawing from a
relatively small portion of the
population black teams sometimes
defeated the best of the white teams
here for instance is a story about the
chabuktos a powerful white team falling
to the all-black eurekas nine to seven
in 1899.
but often when the Black teams had a
good showing against me you never had
another repeat game it was almost like
oh my God we've had the hell scared out
of us we're not going to go back again
shortly after World War One the league
collapsed and within a generation it had
all but disappeared from the collective
memory of even most Black Nova scotians
the story of the CHL seemed to have been
lost the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto
how do they recognize these Innovations
they don't
but when it's built the black hockey and
Sports Hall of Fame in Nova Scotia will
Craig Smith is its president you'll get
a hockey book and look at a hockey book
in the history in Canada you don't see
anybody in there that looks like me
skating on the ice you don't see any
stories about any black hockey league in
Nova Scotia or any contribution relax to
the league other than willio re-breaking
the color Marion 58. 49 years ago Willie
o'ri became the first black man to play
in the National Hockey League
Smith wants to see those who came before
ore given their due the greatest
recognition that I think that can be
made is for them to say that yes this
league was here this league stood
withstood the test of time and this
league gave a lot to what we now have in
the NHL what does the game of hockey owe
these Pioneers they owe them recognition
they owe them the respect that's been
employed for a hundred years
unfortunately the proper due and the
proper respect that's been due a lot of
black athletes in this country has been
slow in coming and so now to go back and
say no it was black people to
revolutionize that sport
that's not going to happen easily not
without a fight that's for sure
Jeremy shapp reporting over the NHL
All-Star break in Dallas George and
Daryl Foster presented their findings on
the colored Hockey League to the NHL
diversity task force the NHL listened
and is currently in discussion with the
fosties in regards to their research
however there is still no official
recognition of the colored Hockey League
[Music]
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