Val James usually enjoys a quiet celebration of the anniversary of becoming the NHL's first Black player born in the United States on Nov. 1, 1981, by toasting the occasion at home with his wife and remembering his late father, who got him started in the sport.
Val James usually enjoys a quiet celebration of the anniversary of becoming the NHL's first Black player born in the United States on Nov. 1, 1981, by toasting the occasion at home with his wife and remembering his late father, who got him started in the sport.
But the Buffalo Sabres and the NHL are changing James' low-key approach Sunday by paying tribute to the 63-year-old retired forward on the 39th anniversary of his first NHL game for overcoming stark racism throughout his career and helping to pave the way for other Black players born in the United States to enter the League.
James spent more than a decade in the minors playing for teams in the American Hockey League, Eastern Hockey League, Northeastern Hockey League and International Hockey League before a shoulder injury forced him to retire after the 1987-88 season.