William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles the San Jose Jr. Sharks 16AAA Girls team that finds strength in its diversity.
Players and coaches of the San Jose Jr. Sharks 16AAA Girls team like to say their differences bring them together.
The Sharks are diverse -- from their coach, a dual Canadian/American citizen whose family roots are in India’s Punjab region -- to their roster.
“We’ve got players from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, some Middle Eastern players, players with South American backgrounds from as far away as Peru, white players from the United States, my apologies if I missed anyone’s background,” coach Tim Grewal said. “We don’t look like every other team. I think it's awesome because I think it gives the girls an appreciation for cultures and different backgrounds.”
And it has proven to be a winning recipe; the Jr. Sharks won the Pacific Girls Hockey League championship at City National Area, the practice facility of the Vegas Golden Knights, on March 17. They also won the 2 Nations College Prep Series tournament in Brampton, Ontario, in December as the only California entry.