THE BACKSTORY

The Maritimers who transformed hockey

Long overdue recognition for the sport’s Black pioneers

BY KATIE INGRAM

Hammonds Plains Moss Backs

PARO PEI, Acc2353/496/pg404/P-1, P0006811 The players of the Colored Hockey League introduced innovations that reshaped the sport.

They changed the way goalies defend the net. They invented what is now known as the slapshot. They transformed hockey.

But for years, the Colored Hockey League and its stars went unheralded.

“We didn’t know until later on,” says Wayne Adams. “All we knew is there were pictures of guys in long johns with hockey sticks.”

The former cabinet minister’s grandfather, Augustus Adams, was part of the league, which showcased Black Maritimers. Other players, like goalie Henry Franklin, was the first to drop to his knees to stop incoming pucks, while Eddie Martin used a technique similar to the slapshot, as did other CHL players.

“It’s certainly a part of building Canada, in terms of the sport that everybody reveres so highly,” says Adams. “We were doing things in the 1800s that the NHL is being credited for in the 1900s.”

Founded in 1895, the CHL aimed to encourage young Black men to attend church. If the men attended the service, they were promised a hockey game against players from another church. The league lasted until 1930, with a break from 1914 to 1919 due to the First World War.

Adams only found out about the league in the early 2000s, as did many of the players’ descendants. This was due to research done by historians and brothers George and Darril Fosty for their book, Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895 to 1925. The Fostys found a small mention of the league in a newspaper clipping, triggering a decade of research.

“We found it through the most mundane little sources, little artifacts, little pictures,” says George Fosty. “It was a hidden history ... It was a lost history that was in front of us, in plain view, but no one was recognizing or acknowledging it.”

The league thrived for a time. One championship game drew 1,200 fans, and a regular season game 500. In contrast, the all-white leagues tallied about 300 to 400 fans per game in Halifax.

The CHL existed in a perpetual fight against racism and segregation. Black teams were only allowed to use arenas after white leagues were done, which caused them to have a rushed season, from January to March. They sometimes played at night and often used lakes when arenas were unavailable. In the early 1900s, Africville community members faced the seizure of

Tom Connors Nova Scotia Archives 1987-218 no. 133 / negative N-1726

Africville Sea-Sides Africville Brown Bombers

1901 The championship is split between the Africville Sea-Sides and the West End Rangers, with both teams claiming they won the title. 1895 The CHL is founded. Its goal is to improve male attendance in church with the added bonus of playing games against other churches. The founders were: Pastor James Borden, James A.R. Kinney, James Robinson Johnston, and Henry Sylvester Williams.

Dartmouth Victorias

Dartmouth Jubilees

Halifax Hawks

Halifax All-Stars

Halifax Eurekas Halifax Diamonds

Halifax Stanleys

1896 – 1900 The Halifax Eurekas are league champions.

1900 Henry Franklyn pioneers his goalie technique, leaving his feet to make saves.

their land to make way for a railroad. When residents opposed the appropriation, arena owners wouldn’t let teams use their ice and newspapers stopped covering games.

Today, the league is finally getting its due. In 2015, it was featured in Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future, a documentary about Black hockey players. In 2020, Canada Post released a commemorative stamp. In 2021, another documentary on the league was announced, with rapper Drake and NBA star LeBron James producing.

For Adams, this recognition is just a start.

“(We should) remember them as vividly as possible,” he says, adding that the hockey establishment has only recently started acknowledging the CHL’s contributions. “The NHL has a role to play in terms of sharing the truths they didn’t even know about … They should do more work and share the truth of the story behind hockey.”

Canada Post © 2020. Reproduced with permission. The Moss Backs name has a connection to the Underground Railroad. Moss Back is in reference to the moss that grows on dead trees. The moss would act as a marker and would help former slaves stay on route as they travelled.

James Carvey (who played centre, forward, and goal) was said to be the fastest player in the league.

The Bombers, which formed after the First World War, took their name from an older slang term that means “the successes.”

The Victorias name is not in homage to Queen Victoria, but is a literal reference to being victorious.

According to records, Jubliees’ player Thomas Tynes Jr., was among the league’s oldest players, born on June 21, 1856. Tynes is thought to have only missed one game during his career.

The best players from the Eurekas and Diamonds comprised this All-Star team.

The Stanleys were the inaugural league champions in 1895.

The Diamonds were also Provincial Baseball Coloured Champions in 1921.

In Joan M. Payzant’s book Halifax: Cornerstone of Canada, this team is referenced as having played in the 1930s. They would have played against teams like the West End Rangers out of Charlottetown (which had been part of the league early) on and the Africville Brown Bombers.

Local white teams drew an average of 300 to 400 spectators, while a game between the Eurekas and the Africville Sea-Sides could attract over 500.

LEARN MORE

For a complete timeline of CHL achievements , visit unravelhalifax.ca.