Soul on Ice brings 'different type of swagger' to NHL Podcast lineup

Kwame Damon Mason sums up Soul On Ice: The Podcast with one word: swagger.

Mason, Los Angeles Kings prospect Akil Thomas and former Ontario Hockey League player Elijah Roberts co-host the podcast that highlights the intersection of hockey and culture and joins the NHL Podcast lineup on Wednesday.

"We're coming with a different type of swagger," said Mason, who directed "Soul On Ice: Past, Present & Future," an award-winning 2015 documentary on Black hockey history. "You've got the old guy, which is me, that's still in the world of Wu Tang (Clan). Then you've got Elijah and Akil, who are very young and very about the pop culture of today. You combine the two and you get a great perspective on the game of hockey from different angles."

The podcast provides commentary and perspectives on the state of the game, defining moments in history and the future evolution of the sport.

"We have worked with Kwame and his team for years and love that he brings a unique perspective to everything he magically touches, whether it's a podcast or an award-winning film," NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said.

Soul On Ice joins the NHL family of podcasts with San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, New Jersey Devils defenseman Connor Carrick and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin as guests on Wednesday. They'll discuss social justice, the importance of being allies and the growth of the game.

Kane, co-head of the recently-formed Hockey Diversity Alliance, discusses the challenges he's faced since being selected in the first round (No. 4) of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets), how he ultimately found his voice and has used his experiences to advocate for positive change in hockey.

Carrick and Slavin discuss the work and action that needs to take place among white players to drive change for social justice.

"I thought that these three men would be a great combination in the hockey space that can actually talk about how they are feeling about the state of hockey, the growth of the game as well as specific policies that they would like to see to change the game of hockey," Mason said. "We had a great conversation. I think that people are going to look at these guys in a different light and learn a little bit more about how this message of change is being put forward and growing."

Soul On Ice: The Podcast debuted independently on March 25 and had episodes with guests that included Anthony Stewart, Mark Fraser, Grant Fuhr, Givani Smith, Karl Subban, JT Brown, Quinton Byfield, K'Andre Miller, Blake Bolden, Sarah Nurse, Joel Ward, David Amber and Ron MacLean. The previous episodes will be added to NHL platforms in the coming weeks.

In addition to guests, the podcast offers insight through Thomas and Roberts on young players trying to break into the NHL.

Thomas is a 20-year-old forward who was chosen by the Kings in the second round (No. 51) of the 2018 NHL Draft after playing for Peterborough and Niagara of the Ontario Hockey League. He scored 315 points (105 goals, 210 assists) in 241 OHL games.

"When we first started, I just wanted it to be an entertainment kind of platform that kids from any race, whatever, in hockey could be attached to. I'm a fan of Spittin' Chicklets," Thomas said of the podcast hosted by former NHL players Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney. "At first, that's kind of what my goal was, but then looking at the last few months with allegations in hockey about race and obviously what's happening in America, it's the perfect timing for us. Maybe we can be a platform that can actually make a difference in some of that."

Thomas became a hockey hero in Canada when he scored the game-winning goal against Russia that gave Canada first place at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"With Akil, this is going to be the first time that an audience will be able to kind of grow with a player and learn his ins and outs as he enters the hockey world as a draft pick," Mason said. "You're going to actually hear from Akil about his progress, maybe some of his ups and downs, obviously not all his secrets. It's almost watch watching 'Family Ties' and growing up with those kids."

Thomas said he and Roberts, a former teammate at Niagara, had talked three years ago about doing an entertainment-focused podcast.

The 21-year-old undrafted defenseman has committed to play hockey this fall at Ryerson University in Toronto.

"Our plan is to keep it going forward, even throughout the season at Ryerson, we want to keep going with the podcast, give people perspective on our day-to-day lives," said Roberts, who scored 108 points (23 goals, 85 assists) in 294 OHL games. "You're hearing from Akil, who's making his NHL debut, or hearing from me, who's making my (college hockey) debut. We've got a perspective that's really not out there."

That perspective is why the NHL wanted to add Soul On Ice to its podcast stable that includes NHL Fantasy On Ice, NHL Executive Suite, NHL Draft Class, NHL@TheRink and Puck Culture.

"Soul On Ice gives voice to an emerging community within the game of hockey -- one that blurs the lines between sport, fashion, food, art, music and more," said Kim Davis, NHL senior executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. "This mutually beneficial relationship provides our audience the opportunity to connect with the game of hockey on a deeper emotional level, through cultural conversation and storytelling."

Fans can download individual episodes of all NHL podcasts at nhl.com/podcasts. NHL Podcasts are available on Castbox, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iheartradio, iTunes, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn Radio.