Black hockey players see new path to college, step forward for players of color

Meredith Lang founded a program a few years ago that introduced the sport of hockey to girls of color in Minnesota. She later started a second program that provided more intensive hockey training to girls who are underrepresented in the game.

Lang came up with an idea for an educational trip as part of these programs. She inquired about taking the girls to Tennessee State University to tour the historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Nashville.

Complications prevented the trip from happening, but Lang can now envision one of her program's pupils being able to play hockey at that school, not just visit it.

Tennessee State announced this past week that it will become the first HBCU to play hockey starting in 2024. The school will form a men's team first, followed by a women's team once the school moves from club to varsity at the Division I level. The school hopes that transition only takes two or three years.

The school already has targeted Minnesota as a prime recruiting area.

"We're going to be very heavily looking in the Minneapolis area and even going as north as we can," said Nick Guerriero, Tennessee State assistant athletic director for hockey. "The state of Minnesota will be very welcomed by the Tennessee State family."

The news felt like a pinch-me moment to those in Minnesota's hockey community who pour their souls into making hockey more diverse and inclusive. People such as Lang, who founded a nonprofit organization this past December called Mosaic Hockey Collective that supports 125 boy and girl players of color.

An HBCU school playing hockey "is showing commitment from gatekeepers, showing that we are committed to diversifying hockey," Lang said.

The ripple effect could be massive, too. The hope is that other HBCU schools eventually join TSU in offering hockey. That would provide more opportunities for Black kids to play collegiately, which helps create more interest and participation at the youth levels.

"It takes one domino to fall for others to follow," Lang said.

Lang moved from St. Louis to the Twin Cities when she was 12. As a Black player on the Richfield High girls team in the mid-1990s, she didn't see other players who looked like her.

When she became a mother of two daughters who also aspired to play hockey, Lang found a calling to knock down barriers. She started a grassroots movement to get more girls of color involved in the sport. Her first two programs — Hockey Niñas and Minnesota Unbounded — made such an impact that Lang was named one of three finalists for the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award last year.

"A lot of times as Black hockey players, we're just trying to fit in, knowing that we are different," she said. "We say that we're a hockey player and maybe our community doesn't really understand why and how. But we love it so much. You see that there is progress and it's important to others."

Exact data on the number of BIPOC kids who play hockey in Minnesota is difficult to pinpoint. Tony Zosel, founder of Youth Hockey Hub, said participation "is growing exponentially" and he immediately had big visions when he heard the news about Tennessee State adding hockey.

"We're just imaging the possibilities," he said. "This will be unbelievable. Something like this is a major coup for the growth of the game."

Anthony Walsh's mission is to foster that growth. Walsh, who is Black, helped lead Edina to the state championship his senior year in 2013, and then played club hockey at the University of North Dakota.

Walsh coaches youth hockey in Minneapolis. He graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in June and authored the book "Hockey Is for Everybody" published last year.

The push to make hockey more diverse is dear to Walsh's heart. He often speaks to groups about overcoming hurdles that prevent participation. The financial component is one, but Walsh believes providing basic education about hockey is an essential first step.

He sees tremendous growth potential with Tennessee State adding hockey.

"This is hopefully just the beginning," he said. "We're going to be pioneers and go to these HBCUs and have that Black college experience while also having the opportunity to play Division I hockey."

Lang's organization focuses on helping players stay in hockey. The program offers weekly practices during spring and summer with rotating guest coaches from Minnesota's hockey community providing instruction. Players representing 40-plus community associations are part of Mosaic.

Lang asked players at a recent practice how many hope to play in college. Almost everyone raised their hand.

"We want to compete at the highest level, whatever that is for our kids," Lang said.

Another avenue opened to them this past week. The hockey world got better because of that.