Black Excellence Skate Inspires Next Generation of Hockey Players in Vancouver

Representation matters, and for 35 young hockey players, stepping onto the ice at Rogers Arena for the Vancouver Canucks’ inaugural Black Excellence Skate was more than just a practice—it was a moment of empowerment.

Led by an all-black coaching staff, the event not only provided skill development but also created a sense of belonging in a sport where many participants have rarely seen others on the ice who look like them. The experience left a lasting impact, fostering new friendships, mentorships, and inspiration for both players and coaches alike.

The skate was spearheaded by Rod Brathwaite, Manager of Community Partnerships and Hockey Development for the Vancouver Canucks and Canucks Alumni Liaison. He has organized South Asian skates, newcomers to Canada skates, and many others with the goal of providing children of all backgrounds access to hockey.

Brathwaite is grateful for the support of this skate because it hits close to home. He recalls from his days growing up in Ottawa, there were few black families in his neighbourhood and he and his brother, former NHLer Fredrick Brathwaite, were the only ones that played hockey.

“As big as hockey is now, it was back then and when you went to the rinks and to tournaments, it was really rare to see another black kid or a black family,” Brathwaite said.

Seeing his vision come to life and being able to give young black hockey players and their parents an experience at Rogers Arena was something he takes pride in.

“It's about providing opportunities for kids and parents to connect—because you never know what can come from meeting people. I've had many opportunities in my life thanks to others, and those moments have shaped my journey in hockey and beyond,” Brathwaite said. “By creating these opportunities, we open the door for others to explore new paths."

The event came together with the help of BC Hockey, High Performance League (HPL), Alexis Charles, Perry Kane, and the coaches who wanted to give back: John Craighead (Canucks alumni), Delroy Montague and Mark Burgin (BC Hockey), Paul Dunn, and Aliza Rooker (Black Girl Hockey Club).

Rooker, a student at Langara College, started playing hockey when she was nine years old. She was a gymnast and coming into the sport later than her peers, she didn’t like it at first because she had no friends and didn’t see herself improving, but she stuck with it, training hard in the summers and spring and grew to love the sport.

She played for the Vancouver Female Ice Hockey Assocation U18 rep team, captaining the squad for two years before she graduated high school. In 2023, she won the Sarah Nurse Scholarship Award through the Black Girl Hockey Club for her excellence in hockey and in the classroom.

The 18-year-old is starting to get into coaching, helping Burgin at BC Hockey, hoping to really sink her teeth into more coaching in the summer between semesters. She’s learned a lot about leadership and communication wearing the “C” and wants to help grow the sport in the black community and be a role model for young girls; coaching the Black Excellence Skate was the perfect fit.

“It was amazing, I’m so glad I got to be a part of it. The energy at the arena was so amazing and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,” Rooker said.

“It was nice for me as a coach to see other black kids achieving at such a high level because it’s not something I ever got to see growing up. That meant a lot to me to see all those kids being so successful in their sport, it was awesome to see.”

Rooker has realized more as she’s gotten older how important representation in hockey is, and she feels a responsibility to help change the game. Growing up, she was always the only black girl on her team, and she’d never played with or against another black girl. Rooker wanted the young hockey players at the skate to feel seen but also be inspired by the coaches that they can accomplish great things.

“I felt isolated playing hockey, I was never able to see someone that looked like me and for me now to be older, I want to be that person for young girls to look up to. I want to expand and grow the sport of hockey and make it a welcoming space for girls of colour and black girls. To have that impact on other people it just makes me feel really proud and it makes me want to keep going and keep being a role model for those girls to look up to.”

Rooker said the skate opened opportunities for her that she couldn’t have imagined, meeting all of the coaches and Brathwaite, who are guiding her as she pursues her passion in coaching.

“Just a message for all those young girls out there, I really want them to keep pushing, keep at it even though it’s difficult, I can say for sure that their experiences will be rewarded 100 percent,” Rooker said.

Celia (11) was one of the young girls who attended the skate, and she left the experience feeling incredibly inspired. She has been to Rogers Arena to watch Canucks games and the PWHL game in January, but it was her first time getting to skate on the ice.

Celia has been skating since she was three years old and has been playing with the Vancouver Female Ice Hockey Association for four years. She notes that hockey makes her feel alive and she loves the physicality of the sport.

The event at Rogers Arena (as well as the PWHL game in January) left a big impact on her, and her teacher encouraged her to do a presentation for her Language Arts and History class for Black History Month.

“Everyone was black – black coaches, black kids, and it just made me feel like I was part of a community and less that I was on the outside,” Celia shared. “Anyone of any race can play hockey.”

She learned a lot from the two-hour skate, as she’s trying to refine her anticipation and her positioning around the net because she loves to score goals.

"I feel like my speed and positioning has improved since that practice as well as my shooting,” she said.

It was a powerful month for Celia, attending the Black Excellence Skate and also watched the PWHL game at Rogers Arena with the Black Girl Hockey Club. She also met her favourite player, Scepters’ forward Sarah Nurse, and Victoire forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis.

Celia’s mother Kim noticed Celia is feeling more confident and belonging on the ice, which helps her daughter be able to focus on being the best hockey player she can be.

“The last month has just changed it completely for her. Just that belief that it’s real as opposed to us telling her ‘You can do these things’, but when you don’t see it, it’s hard,” Kim said.

“Even for Rod organizing it, right from the top down it was all successful people of colour that these kids could see themselves in. All these people playing that look like us, then the kids see themselves in these opportunities of the roles that other people have had, whether it’s Saroya, Sarah Nurse or Rod, Aliza or the other coaches on the ice.”

Lincoln (11) started skating lessons as a toddler, but when he saw other kids playing hockey, he wanted to join in, and his parents obliged. He’s been playing hockey for five years and is with the Vancouver Coyotes in the HPL, playing left wing, just like his favourite Canuck Dakota Joshua.

Lincoln enjoyed getting to meet another hockey player he plays against in the HPL and a couple of new friends at the skate.

“It made me feel pretty good. I learned from the coaches to stick with it and hard work, no matter what people say,” Lincoln said.

Seeing so many people of colour on the ice together has made him more confident that there’s space for him in hockey.

He also participated in Every Kids Dream the day before the Black Excellence Skate, getting to skate a few laps with the Vancouver Canucks before taking his spot between Keifer Sherwood and Kevin Lankinen for the starting lineups and national anthems.

“It was super cool to stand beside all the Canucks players during the national anthems in front of all those people and to skate around with them,” Lincoln said.

“I bumped into Tyler Myers while we were skating and he said, ‘Are you ok down there’ and I looked up because he’s so tall.”

He shared his experiences with his classmates and his teammates in the days following. His father, Dave says being part of the Canucks' events were important moments for his son and for their family.

“We hope that one day in maybe 10 years he will be able to be in the uniform,” Dave said. “Both events were fantastic, and we thank the Canucks for the experience, both of them were top-notch and something we’ll both remember.”

From young players like Celia and Lincoln finding confidence in themselves to coaches like Aliza Rooker embracing their role as mentors, the event highlighted the impact of creating spaces where black hockey players feel seen, supported, and inspired.

Brathwaite and the Canucks continue to champion inclusivity in the sport, helping shape the next generation of hockey players, proving that the game truly belongs to everyone.