I’ve been a big fan of hockey my entire life. I’m a fan of the Boston Bruins. I’ll admit my Fandom has waited a bit since my family moved up down south a while back. I still do keep up with them and the NHL to some extent. That being said I didn’t even know there was a problem with racism in the game and the league. Black Ice is the story behind systemic racism in hockey starting in Canada.

Like a lot of documentaries, this one has a few of the usual things that these films have. They have quite a few talking heads from a lot of people surrounding the game past and present. Including Willie O’Cee, the first Black NHL Player, Matt Dumba, PK Subban, Anthony Dunbar, and Wayne Simmons who are all NHL Players.  Also, some women who have been involved in the game, Blake Bolden NHL Scout, Sara Nurse Canadian Olympic World Champion Hockey Player, Saroya Tinker Canadian Women’s Hockey Player.

Another form of storytelling that this film uses is a lot of archival footage of past players and photos as well. A newer thing that they use is called fly-on-the-wall footage. Where the filmmaker recreates events and puts them in a way so he and we can watch the events transporting. This allows him to tell a separate story within the context of the Documentary. In the case of this film, there are two distinct separate stories besides the overarching story.

The two stories are of Akim Aliu an ex-NHL player and Mark Connors a youth hockey player who is a Goalie. Both of these people have experienced cases of racism in their lives. One very recently and another in his playing career. They have both become friends with one another and have consoled each other about this problem in the game. One is an influential figure for the other. 

Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and the people behind this documentary such as the director Hubert Davis, not the basketball player,  Have urged people to take ownership of this problem. This is Canada’s Game so they need to admit there is a problem within Canada and how it does let Black people play this game. Even though they have been a part of it for over one hundred years and have lived in this country just as long if not longer. 

Voice-over narration and newsreel footage have documented what is going on in the game. The filmmakers have scoured Canada for people to talk to during the process of filmmaking. Mostly Nova Scotia and Toronto but people from different phases of the game are a part of this film. Including  Debra Thompson Civil Rights leader, Craig Smith ex-NHL player, George & Darril Fosty Hockey Historians, Cecil Harris Journalist, Don McLean Canadian Sports CasterJasina and Shah Author

A big part of the film is about the CHL (Colored Hockey League) and a small Black community called Africville in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They even go into great depth about how Black players of the past have influenced the game. One way was how they created the slapshot before Bobby Hull took ownership of it years later. There are a lot of different variables within this film that make it very interesting. If it does one thing it’s shedding light on a dark subject matter and a stain on the game.

5 stars

Dan Skip Allen