Black History Night, In My Words

There hasn't been a better time in history to be a black hockey player.
I'm not sure that's always been the case. For a lot of other kids of color, there was a barrier of not really knowing if they have a place in hockey. The landscape was a little different for me when I was growing up because my dad played professional hockey in the minor leagues and I could see myself as a hockey player because of him and a few others in the NHL, guys who looked like me.
It's still not perfect - Far too often, we still see parts of our game where we need to create change, but I do think things are moving in the right direction. Hopefully there are fewer kids feeling like they don't belong today than there were when I was growing up. If you're out there wondering, know that YOU have a place in this sport.

Being Black History Month, I felt it was a good time to reflect.
I was talking to someone about this the other day and I don't think they were holding a Black History game in the 50's or 60's. It's great to see the game change for the better and become more inclusive, more aware when it comes to diversity. That's part of why this is a special game for me.
Being a player of color, this game obviously means a little bit more.
Last year, I was shocked when the Kings asked me to design the jerseys. When they asked me again this year, I was super excited because of how cool the experience was for my Zale team, family and friends.
Ultimately, I want to be the guy wearing that jersey, not just designing it. I'm a hockey player first and foremost and I want to play in the NHL one day, get that first game under my belt. Injuries haven't quite gone my way over the last couple of years, but it's still my dream to represent the Kings and play in the NHL. Hopefully when I'm writing this article next season, it's about wearing my jersey for the first time at Crypto.com Arena, living my dream in front of Kings fans.

If there's been a silver lining to being out, it would be the chance to put more focus and time into Zale, my clothing and design company.
Apparel design has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old. When I was a kid, I took the bus to school and had to ask my parents for bus fare every single day. Eventually I started to think about ways I could get that money myself without having to ask. That's where design came in. My first side hustle was selling t-shirts to my friends and hockey buddies.
I'd use one of those design websites online to design and buy shirts for like ten bucks and sell them for double. Working with a pretty nice profit margin, I realized I was actually pretty good at design. I had success, I enjoyed doing it, so I figured why stop? Two years later, I formed Zale with my friend Ethan Low and we've got bigger goals than just bus fare. Our company is now fully staffed with some of my best friends and we're hoping to keep the train going.
I've found that running a business actually has a lot of similarities to leading a hockey club.
When I played in the OHL in Niagara, I was fortunate enough to be selected as the captain of my team. As weird as it might sound, I've taken a lot from my hockey career and applied it to my business. Someone once told me that the hardest part of running a business is getting everyone to buy in and it's kind of the same thing with hockey as a captain. Having everyone on the same page is what makes the team greater and I'm fortunate to have that with Zale.
The opportunity to design the Kings jerseys for Black History Month felt like the perfect intersection for me between my hockey career and my passion for design.
Designing this jersey was about more than just the appearance. I wanted it to feel authentic and help to endorse and promote an important cause, the kids at 24 Degrees of Color.
The colors chosen for the jersey - green, yellow and red - create an African color palette, whether it's different countries or religions, it represents African/Caribbean heritage to me. The font on the back is in that style for the jersey numbers.
The fist on the front is a bold emblem, a staple of our Black History jerseys. It fits with the Zale brand and the Kings brand. On the hoodies, which are available to buy, includes an important message - February and Forever.
It's important that we're honoring Black History Month here in February and it's great to see the spotlight placed on it. There are 11 other months in the year, though, where representation is important. Making progress throughout the rest of the year is just as necessary and it was important for us to show that.
All proceeds from Black History Night will go towards 24 Degrees of Color, which helps fund youth hockey costs for kids from minority families. It's an expensive sport for kids to play and I hope this night can help in that area. Like I said, there's no better time to be a black hockey player and that includes the next generation. Excited to be a part of an important night to help make that statement a reality.
Akil
All Black History Night warmup jerseys are up for auction now by visiting LAKings.com/Auction. All proceeds benefit 24 Degrees Of Color.