USA Hockey Magazine

20 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF U18 Panthers I N T H E CO R N E R S H E R O E S & H I S T O R Y g By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli "I just wanted Cole to see more players that looked like him and hopefully bond with some of them. I want others to see that we, as African- Americans, do play hockey and live it." These and many other players have made names for themselves on the shoulders of former players like pio- neer and Hall of Famer, Willie O'Ree, the first Black player in the NHL; Hall of Fame goaltender and five- time Stanley Cup champion Grant Fuhr; Stanley Cup champion Dustin Byfuglien, as well as current San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier. Future prospects like Las Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Isaiah Saville; Minnesota Wild draft choice Marshall Warren; and 17-year-old member of the Penguins Elite girls program and first-year member of the University of Wisconsin Badgers women's hockey team Chayla Edwards, all hope to promote the image of Black players on the ice as more of the rule than the exception. "I just wanted Cole to see more play- ers that looked like him and hopeful- ly bond with some of them," Karen said. "I want others to see that we, as African-Americans, do play hockey and live it. It was a good experience." P Tom & Jerry Caraccioli are the authors of STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America's Forgotten Hockey Team. s Karen and Clark Broughton sat in the stands watching their sons progress through the ranks of their local youth hockey teams in Syracuse and Central New York, it was always evident they stood out more than most of the other players. As parents of hockey-loving sons who were usually the only Black players on their respective teams, the Broughtons became intrigued when they read about two hockey moms in California organizing an U18 team featuring all-Black play- ers. The Broughtons contacted Rochelle Popyon and April Scott and inquired about the prospect of their son, Cole, joining the group interest- ed in playing for the newly organized Panthers team in the Minneapolis 2022 AAA Summer Showdown Hockey Tournament. "The team was started by April because our sons were in high school and hadn't had an opportunity to play with other African-American players," Popyon said. "We have the Facebook group—Black Hockey Mommies—and we decided to put it out there about getting a team together for a tournament." The U18 Panthers team was found- ed, developed and organized so young, African-American boys could play together—most for the first time ever—with other Black players, show- case their talent and advance the sport within the African-American commu- nity across the country. "I joined a Facebook group and the administrators put out an announce- ment," Karen Broughton recalled. "We registered and signed up. That's how we ended up in Minnesota." Comprised of 16 players from eight states (California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York and Tennessee), the U18 Panthers are one of only a few teams across the country featur- ing an all-Black roster. Players traveled to Minneapolis and quickly came together before their first game. Cole Broughton, a senior forward for the Liverpool (N.Y.) Warriors High School team was one of those players. "At first, I was a little nervous because it was a new environ- ment," Cole admitted. " When I got to know the other players, it became easier to communicate and talk to the them. This entire expe- rience and event was unforgetta- ble. It was very important." In 2022, the total number of African-American players on NHL rosters was 26. Stars like 2013 Norris Trophy Award-winner and recent- ly-retired PK Subban, Chicago Blackhawks Seth Jones, New York Rangers K'Andre Miller, Florida Panthers Anthony Duclair, Toronto Maple Leafs Wayne Simmonds and Edmonton Oilers Darnell Nurse. Changing The Complexion Of The Game A

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