Canucks’ Black Excellence Skate Builds Community On and Off the Ice

The Vancouver Canucks will host their second annual Black Excellence Skate at Rogers Arena this weekend, an event that continues to grow in impact and intention after a powerful debut last season. 

What began as an opportunity to bring young players together has evolved into something far greater. It’s a space where representation is visible, connections are formed, and participants leave with a renewed sense of belonging in the game of hockey. 

Canucks Manager of Community Partnerships and Hockey Development, Rod Brathwaite, heard the response firsthand from the players and their parents after last year’s skate. The feedback reinforced how meaningful it was to be in an environment designed for them. 

Brathwaite says being able to provide a new opportunity to kids who play hockey is impactful and is worth every minute of preparation. 

“It's very exciting, and it's a great opportunity to provide new experience for anyone and it makes coming to work even better,” Brathwaite said. 

“It's something that's close to me, so, like anyone, if you do something that's close to you and you see the smiles on people's faces, and they walk away with a sense of time well spent, it means a lot.” 

Former NHL winger John Craighead is back for his second guest coach appearance. Craighead brings more than five decades of hockey experience and a lifelong commitment to growing the game in inclusive ways. From his early playing days in Sicamous, B.C., to his post-playing career in mentorship and community leadership, he understands how powerful representation can be. He is an owner of the PJHL’s Surrey Knights, sits on many Canucks’ committees, and organizes the Canucks’ alumni skate.

As a young player, Craighead often felt isolated and considered quitting because he didn’t feel accepted. Encouraged by his mother to continue, he pushed through racism he encountered and built a lengthy career in the game. Now, he sees this skate as a chance to give young players what he once needed. 

“If I would have had somebody like myself, that was out there – someone who is mixed or of colour – who was a role model on a regular basis, it would have made a difference,” Craighead said. "Here I get to have conversations with the kids and tell them ‘You're special and you are just as good as anybody else. If you want to do this, then put your heart and soul into it, and the Hockey Gods will take care of you.’” 

He enjoys supporting the next generation at the Black Excellence skate, and encouraging players in ways he hopes will keep them in the game as long as possible so they can reach their full potential. Whether children will end up playing professionally or not, Craighead says there’s so many life skills learned through playing hockey. 

“When they walk into that dressing room, it's not about the game, it's not about going to play in Rogers Arena,” Craighead said. “What I love about it most is I can see that they can be themselves and their guard is completely down because they're not experiencing that subconscious feeling that they get when they walk into a rink in their own community where they're a minority.” 

That sense of community is what encouraged families to come back, including the Nunleys. 

Derrick and Barbara Nunley watched their sons Zakai,10, and Braelyn, 15, take part in the skate last year, and the experience left a lasting impact on all of them. This weekend, they’ll return for the on-ice session, and for the friendships they made and hope to make. 

For Zakai, a centre with the Richmond Jets, has been on skates since he was three, the highlight was simple: sharing the ice with new teammates and feeling part of something bigger.

His older brother Braelyn, who plays for Delta Hockey Academy U15 had a similar takeaway. 

“It was really fun because I got to play on the big ice and I'm really excited to get that experience again,” he said. “There were a bunch of players that I've never met before.” 

Accustomed to being one of the few Black players on his team, the skate offered a rare and powerful shift in perspective. 

“There are more people of colour that play hockey [thank I thought] because usually when you're playing hockey with your respective teams, it feels like you don't see that as much,” Braelyn said. 

Derrick said the relationships built through the skate have extended beyond the ice in a single day, with families staying in touch and their kids training together with Perry Kane, founder of Spot on Hockey, throughout the year.  

“It impacted the relationships they’ve built,” he said. “They made friends, and they got opportunity to actually train with other kids they wouldn’t otherwise have met." 

Barbara says the joy her sons have for the game started at home, with Braelyn taking a liking to it early on and Zakai was just keeping up with his brother. Braelyn and Zakai also have older cousins that play hockey, so Derrick and Barbara would take them to watch games. 

“Ever since Braelyn could walk, he was always carrying a ball and a stick with him, and we did watch a lot of hockey with my parents,” Barbara said. 

Like many parents, the Nunleys want to support what their children love. This skate has provided reassurance that their sons can pursue that love in a space where they feel fully welcomed. 

“The Canucks having events like this is really beneficial for kids to feel welcome to a sport,” Derrick said. “It's hard because hockey is a very competitive sport, so that inclusiveness is very important, especially for minority kids to feel welcomed and feel that openness. It can go a long way from them loving the game to them just giving up playing the game.” 

Brathwaite’s vision of this skate going forward is to find more kids to attend every year. 

“The goal is to find these kids, have them come out, and provide the opportunity for more and more kids like me and the kids that are coming out every year. Hopefully it expands to another level every year,” Brathwaite said. 

The Black Excellence Skate is opening doors to build confidence and ensure that every player who steps onto the ice can see a place for themselves in the game.