Canada _ (Commonwealth Union) _ To get John Paris Jr. admitted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, a grassroots campaign is being run to make him the first African coach in professional hockey. On Feb. 1, Hockey Nova Scotia started a petition called “Paris to Toronto” asking the Toronto-based Hall to honor the Nova Scotia-born Paris for his contributions to the game. The attention, according to Paris, 76, who spoke to us on Tuesday from Halifax, was unexpected. In spite of the outcomes, he stated, “just the fact that they even took the time to think of me is humbling, I can most certainly say that.”
His list of accomplishments includes being the first Black coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the first Black scout for the St. Louis Blues in the NHL, the first Black general manager in the NHL, and the first Black coach in the history of professional hockey, having guided the Atlanta Knights to a Turner Cup victory in the now-defunct International Hockey League.
Early in the 1960s, Scotty Bowman, a future NHL head coach and general manager, scouted Paris, a gifted five-foot-five player, to play junior hockey in Quebec. Bowman even paid a visit to Paris’s Windsor, Newfoundland, family home to recruit Paris. Illness ended his playing career prematurely, but his coaching career got off to a good start roughly 90 kilometers east of Montreal.
“There are no Black coaches in hockey, Mr. Peloquin, I added as I turned to face him. You’re maybe setting yourself up to have some troubles, I remarked “Paris remembered. “I didn’t mention Black, he added as he turned to face me. I stated that you are the coach that we need “‘
He said that many of those original players’ families and friends still exist. It’s the area that I started teaching, and that’s when it took off, he added. “We’re still extremely tight now.” Paris never went back to Nova Scotia and went on to have a long coaching career in Quebec, mostly in the province’s rural districts. He is currently a Texas resident. In order to assist select NHL players with their game performance, Paris continues to be active in hockey and works as an outside adviser.
One of the suggestions from a task group established in 2019 to examine racism and discrimination in sport was to develop methods to acknowledge and promote the achievements from individuals in underrepresented areas, according to Dean Smith, diversity and inclusion chair of Hockey Nova Scotia.
