N.S. brothers going head-to-head to honour Colored Hockey League

Two Nova Scotia brothers will go head-to-head Saturday in a commemorative game to mark the 128th anniversary of the Colored Hockey League.

Percy Paris and John Paris Jr. will be honorary coaches in the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes Memorial Game, which is being held at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth.

The league, which saw teams from all over the Maritimes playing mainly on lakes and outdoor rinks, started in 1895.

Nearly 130 years later, all-Black players will suit up as members of the Halifax Eurekas and Dartmouth Jubilees — the two teams to play in the first official CHL game.

That first game ended in a tie. This year, bragging rights will be on the line, as the teams celebrate the CHL and Black contributors to Canada's game. 

The Paris brothers believe this is the first time two Black siblings are coaching opposing all-Black teams, outside of the CHL.

"I never would have thought we had that opportunity in our lifetime anyway," Paris Jr. told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia on Friday.

"Most families never have that, regardless of the sport, so it's going to be a pleasant one and I'll have fun ... watching him do his thing and I'll do mine."

The brothers grew up playing hockey in Windsor, N.S., which is considered the birthplace of the sport.

Paris Jr. said they never considered themselves Black hockey players, just hockey players. 

"We were just playing hockey like the other kids did, like our dad taught us to do … we already knew what colour we were but we were playing the game simply because it was a game that kids played, adults played, fans loved," he said.

Paris played for the Saint Mary's Huskies and formed part of the first all-Black line in Canadian university and collegiate hockey.

He said the sport has come a long way, but the culture itself still needs to change. 

He said he tried diversifying the sport while employed at Dalhousie University in Halifax in the 1990s, by offering personal and professional development to Hockey Canada, the National Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League, to no avail.

"We recognized over 30 years ago that there are things about the hockey culture that's had to change and that inclusion was never part of their game plan to the extent that it should be."

Advice for players

Paris Jr., who was the first Black coach in professional hockey, has decades of coaching experience.

His brother, on the other hand, said he recognizes that he doesn't have as much.

To compensate, Paris said he has a surprise "motivational, highly skilled individual" to meet his players before the game.

Although the game is only for bragging rights, Paris Jr. encouraged the players to try their best and enjoy their time on the ice.

"Instead of worrying about scoring a ton of goals, worry about being the best you can be while you're playing, be content," Paris Jr. said.

Paris also encouraged the young athletes to take the game seriously as a sign of respect.

"No matter what the score, no matter what the score at the end of the game, I don't think anyone's going to care who won because there wouldn't be any losers," he said.

"And I just think we're going to go out there, we're going to have fun and we're going to pay tribute to those that are here presently and certainly those that have gone before us."

The game will start at 7 p.m. AT. Admission is free but donations to the Black Youth Ice Hockey Program are welcome.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.