If you blinked during the 1986/7 season, you might have missed Val James' stint as a Maple Leaf. But those four games broke the colour barrier for the Blue and White, and marked the culmination of an amazing story of perseverance. 

CREDITS: Today's episode was written by Scott Willats and Paul Matthews, and produced by Katie Jensen and Vocal Fry Studios for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Special thanks to the beautiful people who helped us tell this story. First and foremost, Val himself. But a big thank you too to Kwame Mason, whose film Soul on Ice, is a must watch. Go rent it on iTunes. And Bernice Carnegie, the daughter of Herb Carnegie, and the co-author of A Fly in a Pail of Milk: The Herb Carnegie Story. Also check out Val’s own autobiography, Black Ice, which he co-wrote with John Gallagher. Further thanks to our associate producers Ellen Payne Smith, Jay Cockburn,  and Erika Dreher. Thanks to Jordan Hayles for consulting on the episode from the beginning, Duane Watson for his sage advice, and Nick Konarowski for his research.