Race and ethnicity in the NHL

Common card · No. 345211

The National Hockey League (NHL) has evolved from a mono-ethnic and primarily Canadian professional athletic league to one that spans North America. The distribution of ethnic groups has been gradually changing since the inception of the NHL. The league consists of players from varying nationalities and diverse backgrounds. The NHL first expanded its representation of player nationalities in the 1970s, with players joining the league from the United States, Sweden, and Finland. The share of Canadians in the league dropped to 75% by the 1980s and was slightly under 50% by 2012. The first player to break the NHL colour barrier was Indigenous Native American Taffy Abel on November 16, 1926. Larry Kwong became the first Asian to play in the NHL in 1948. In 1958, Willie O'Ree became the first NHL player of African descent. The NHL has made an effort to create a more diverse and inclusive institution. In 2011, 93% of NHL players identified as white, with the remaining 7% identifying as varying...

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