Color of Hockey: Plenty of notable Black players have thrived in Winnipeg

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, as part of NHL.com's celebration of Black History Month, he explores Winnipeg’s Black hockey history.

Tongue in cheek, Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley tells a surprised fellow detective in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” that he became a hockey fan because his great-grandfather played in “the Negro leagues” for “the Winnipeg Black Guys.”

“Axel is always kind of making stuff up as he goes along,” said Kevin Etten, who co-wrote the “Beverly Hills Cop” action-comedy sequel that was released last July. “He's just making stuff up to (mess) with his buddy.”

But Winnipeg’s Black hockey history is no joke. The Manitoba provincial capital has a rich history of Black players who were born or raised there, played for the Winnipeg Jets or other NHL teams, or achieved success in minor leagues or internationally.

“It’s cool to see the number of guys that have played in Winnipeg, but also guys who were from Winnipeg growing up,” said Ray Neufeld, who played 249 games for the original Winnipeg Jets from 1985-89 and hails from nearby St. Boniface, Manitoba. “There’s a great history of Black players, and I don’t think people know that.”

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves and Madison Bowey, a defenseman for Cleveland of the American Hockey League who played in 158 NHL games, are Winnipeg natives.

So is retired New Jersey Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador, who was the third Black captain in NHL history. The late Paul Jerrard, a former NHL defenseman who became one of the few Black coaches in professional and NCAA Division I hockey, also called Winnipeg home.

Here's a look at some of the other Black players with a Winnipeg connection (in alphabetical order):

Dustin Byfuglien, D: A first-team member of the Jets' Quarter-Century Team, Byfuglien arrived in Winnipeg in 2011-12 when the Atlanta Thrashers relocated and became the second incarnation of the Jets. He had 416 points (122 goals, 294 assists) in 609 games with Winnipeg from 2011-19 and 525 points (177 goals, 348 assists) in 869 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Thrashers and Jets. He won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010.

Nigel Dawes, F: The Winnipeg native, who retired from professional hockey in 2023, had 84 points (39 goals, 45 assists) in 212 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens from 2006-11. He became a star in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he is the sixth all-time leading scorer with 505 points (267 goals, 238 assists) in 543 games.

Jason Doig, D: The Montreal native was selected by the Jets in the second round (No. 34) in the 1995 NHL Draft. He had two points (one goal, one assist) in 15 games as a 19-year-old for the Jets in 1995-96, their final season in Winnipeg before they relocated and became the Phoenix Coyotes. Doig had 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 158 NHL games with the Jets, Coyotes, Ranger and Washington Capitals.

Evander Kane, F: Another Thrashers transplant, Kane had 222 points (109 goals, 113 assists) in 361 games with the Jets. He has played 15 NHL seasons with 617 points (326 goals, 291 assists) in 930 games with Atlanta, Winnipeg, the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers.

Alf Lewsey, F: Lewsey was one of the first Black players from Winnipeg to gain notoriety. The Chicago Defender, a Black newspaper, wrote of the teenage Lewsey on Nov. 4, 1950: "It would not be a surprise to see him in the uniform of some team in the National Hockey League within the next two or three years. He can be to hockey what Jackie Robinson was to organized baseball -- the guy to break down the racial barriers.” He never did reach the NHL, but went on to play for teams in six Canadian provinces, Scotland, England and the United States. He won a championship with New Haven of the old Eastern Hockey League in 1955-56 and had 57 points (20 goals, 37 assists) in 61 games that season.

Ray Neufeld, F: Selected by the Hartford Whalers in the fourth round (No. 81) of the 1979 NHL Draft, Neufeld had 127 points (61 goals, 66 assists) in 249 games for the original Jets, part of the 357 points (157 goals, 200 assists) he had in 595 games with the Whalers, Jets and Boston Bruins from 1979-90.

Johnny Oduya, D: The Stockholm native had 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 63 games with the Jets in 2011-12 following the Thrashers’ move from Atlanta. He had 190 points (41 goals, 149 assists) in 850 games with the New Jersey Devils, Thrashers, Jets, Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2013 and 2015.

Eldon “Pokey” Reddick, G: Played 117 games (105 starts) for the original Jets from 1986-89. He went 41-51-14 for Winnipeg with 3.73 goals-against average and .872 save percentage. He finished his NHL career 46-15-6 with a 3.71 GAA and .873 save percentage in 132 games (116 starts) for the Jets, Oilers and Florida Panthers from 1986-94 and won the Stanley Cup with Edmonton in 1990.

Bill Riley, F: Became the NHL’s third Black player when he made his debut for the Capitals at the Flyers on Dec. 26, 1974. He became the Jets’ first Black player when they chose him in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft after the merger with the World Hockey Association that brought Winnipeg, the Oilers, Whalers and Quebec Nordiques into the NHL. Riley had five points (three goals, two assists) in 14 games with the Jets in 1979-80, his final NHL season. He had 61 points (31 goals, 30 assists) in 139 games with Washington and Winnipeg.

Alton White, C: White was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, but raised in Winnipeg. He was the first and only Black player in the WHA when he played with the New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks, Michigan Stags and Baltimore Blades from 1972-75. He was the first Black major league hockey player to score 20 goals in a season (with Los Angeles in 1972-73) and finished his WHA career with 84 points (38 goals, 46 assists) in 145 games.