John Saunders- ESPN’s Investigative Reporter Speaks Out on the Lack of Blacks in the NHL

ESPN’s John Saunders has never passed on the opportunity to discuss the intricacies of his favorite sport. While growing up in Toronto, Saunders developed an unyielding passion for hockey. His dedication to the sport allowed him to gain respect amongst his peers and he eventually earned a scholarship to play hockey at Western Michigan University. Rolling out sports recently caught up with Saunders at the ESPN studios where he discussed his first love and what needs to be done to get more blacks involved in the sport.

You have played hockey your entire life. Talk about playing the sport when you were younger?
It was difficult playing hockey as a youngster. My brother and I were the only black hockey players and we took a lot of verbal abuse. We were able to overcome that and I played on the hockey team at Western Michigan. My brother Bernie played professionally and was the fifth African-Canadian to play in National Hockey League.

How do you feel about the number of blacks who play the sport today?
There are 12 players in the NHL. Some of the black players are the best in the league. Jarome Iginla became the first black MVP in 2001 as a player for the Calgary Flames.

The numbers have increased, but why are there still only a few blacks in the NHL?
The reason there are so few blacks in hockey is because most of the players come from Canada or Eastern Europe. Canada has a lower African Canadian population than the United States.

What will it take for the numbers to increase?
The number of players will grow as the sport grows in the United States. There is a great program in New York called “Hockey in Harlem”. Sponsored by the NHL, the program develops young African-American players. I think we will see more black players in the years to come.

Saunders was one of the first blacks to cover the NHL as a sports journalist. Currently he serves as the host for ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters.” –amir shaw