The Minority League

Kalamazoo Wings Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, Joel Martin joins us. One of only two Black head coaches in professional hockey, he was promoted to this role in August 2022. Martin has had a formidable professional and coaching career up to this point. He's also active in the NHL Coaches' Association's BIPOC Coaches Program, which strives to support black, indigenous and coaches of color in areas of leadership, communication, skills and career development.

Sports journalist Tarik El-Bashir speaks with us on this episode. He's a reporter for TNT Hockey and a Senior Writer for The Athletic. Additionally, El-Bashir covers the Washington Capitals, and he's notably covered Alexander Ovechkin since his rookie year. He discusses his involvement with the Fort Dupont Cannons and the elements that can cause barriers for minorities to participate in hockey.

We are taking a short break.  We will be back on March 21st with a new episode - with Tarik el Bashir.

He's a hockey reporter for TNT and covers the Washington Capitals for The Athletic. AND he's been covering Alex Ovechkin since his rookie year.

You can check out all our episodes wherever you listen to podcasts, and at https://www.theminorityleague.com.

This week, we are so excited that we have our first return guest! Black Girl Hockey Club's formidable founder, Renee Hess, joins us again. She started the organization back in 2018 to encourage black girls and women to take part in hockey as fans and players. The organization has taken off since then, with a recent expansion into Canada. They have given out numerous scholarships and mentored women in an effort to grow the game. Anar and Manashi talk to Renee about these initiatives and more!

In this episode, we are talking to two people changing hockey in different ways, but whose paths have intersected: Swift Hockey founder Zechariah Thomas and Jaden Lindo, Manager of Community Hockey Programs at the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. Swift Hockey is changing the game by providing hockey sticks at a lower cost. Likewise, Lindo's programs are increasing accessibility of the game throughout the Pittsburgh area.

Naleli Danso speaks to us about what playing with the Baltimore Banners means to her and what it is like to be a transgender woman in this space. She tells us about the community that is the Banners and about the time she met Washington Capitals players. Additionally, Anar and Manashi discuss their wish lists for this year's All Star Game.

Founder Noel Acton of the Tender Bridge Foundation speaks with us. The Baltimore Banners is a part of this foundation, and it's a hockey team for at-risk youth in the area. The team is a safe space for kids and mentors to play the game, and it has made a huge impact on this community. Additionally, Anar and Manashi talk about their holiday break.

We're taking a holiday break and will be back with new episodes on January 10, 2023! Happy holidays to everyone!

Alexandria Briggs-Blake of the Tucker Road Parent Hockey Association joins us this episode.  She talks about how she's changing the face of hockey at many levels, from youth hockey in the state of Maryland and across the U.S., to working with the pros in the NHL. Also, Anar and Manashi talk about Hockey Fights Cancer and how it impacts their love of the game. 

The Seattle Kraken's Mari Horita joins us for a great discussion on the engagement efforts of the NHL's newest franchise. Mari is the Senior Vice President of Social Impact and Government Relations, and she's also the Executive Director of the One Roof Foundation. She talks about initiatives ranging from mental health to Learn to Skate programs that the Kraken has implemented plus what other engagement programs are coming up for this young team.