Wednesday 7 February 2024
by Ruth Aman
Hundreds stormed the Canadian Tire Centre on the chilly evening of February 15, 2024 with great anticipation for the night’s game. Hockey enthusiasts were in for a special treat. Not only were the Ottawa Senators expected to continue their 4-game winning streak but they were also celebrating Black History Month in their annual Black Hockey History Appreciation night.
Black History Ottawa was in attendance with a table presenting a wide array of media and informational materials that spoke about the great impact of Black Canadian Hockey players. Features were pamphlets on the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes, which was the first all-Black Hockey League in Canada. Alongside Black History Ottawa were other Black organizations and vendors such as Bourne Global Enterprises Inc, and CaKU Collection, an African crafts, jewelry, and clothing shop based in Ottawa. The Charitable partner for the night was the Outreach Social Care Foundation, a Black-Led organization which advocates for social justice and advancing human rights in Canada, South Africa, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
The evening’s game was against the Anaheim Ducks and Senators fans filled the stadium high and low. The national Anthem was sung by the talented KellyLee Evans, a Canadian and internationally acclaimed and Juno award winning singer. With roars of applause commencing at the final lyric, Evans proudly kicked off the Appreciation night. The Ceremonial Puck Drop included some of Canada’s brightest and most remarkable trail blazers. Jacquie Dixon, the Director on the Hockey Eastern Ontario Board, Godlove Ngwafusi, the General Manager African Hockey Association and Dineo Malepo Stearns, a local hockey player with the Kanata Rangers, all posed for pictures as they dropped the hockey puck with Mathieu Joseph of the Ottawa Senators and Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks. Throughout the game, the Ottawa Senators played short feature films of previous and current Black Canadian Hockey players who contributed to the history of the league. These inspirational films encouraged the many young children who had come out in achieving the big goals they have. Though the Ottawa Senators had a tough loss with a score of 5-1, it was still a delightful experience for all who came out.
Click on the links below for a video clip on the event.
Photo and video credits: Sarah Onyango, Ruth Aman, and Jacquie Dixon
Ruth Aman is a Project Officer with Black History Ottawa