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Black History Month 2025

As we celebrate Black History Month, we look to acknowledge the accomplishments of these Americans both north and south of the Canadian border. Hockey is the toughest sport on Earth, only 736 players can be in the NHL in a given season, and these ten players made their mark. Here are the Top 10 Black Hockey players currently playing in the NHL.

Honorable Mention

Jordan Greenway

Team: Minnesota Wild 

Jordan Greenway could be considered a journeyman in the NHL, currently in his eighth season and on his second team. Greenway has always found a way to contribute.

Being selected 50^th overall by the Wild in 2015, he played the better part of seven seasons with the Wild before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres. Greenway has seven points in 20 games this season.

We can’t leave out a notable accomplishment. Greenway is also the first Black American to be named to the US Olympic team in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Top 10 Black NHL Players

10. Mathieu Joseph

Team: St. Louis Blues 

Starting out our Top 10 Black NHL Players of 2025 is Laval, Quebec’s own Mathieu Joseph, who recently played with his brother in St. Louis. While his brother has been moved to Pittsburgh, Mathieu stayed.

Drafted 120^th overall by the Lightning in 2015, Joseph is currently on his third NHL club and has found a regular spot in the Blues line up. So far this season, Mathieu has scored three goals and four assists in 37 games.

9. Dakota Joshua

Team: Vancouver Canucks

Despite being drafted out of the USHL, the Michigan born forward found his game in the B1G with the Buckeyes, playing four seasons before going pro.

It took some time with the Blues going back and forth between the minors, but Dakota Joshua found himself at home with the Canucks. He might be in a bit of a slump at the moment, but he has three goals and two assists in 30 games.

8. Ryan Reaves

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs 

While it appears that the sun might be setting on Ryan Reaves and his time in the NHL, he is still a formidable forward with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Originally drafted 156^th overall in 2005, he has suited up for the Blues, Penguins, Knights, Rangers and Wild before finding his way to the Mecca of hockey. Despite having a low in points this year, Reaves has played over 900 games in the NHL.

7. Jalen Chatfield

Team: Carolina Hurricanes 

It took Jalen Chatfield quite a few years to make it to the NHL after going undrafted and taking his lumps in the American Hockey League, but the past two seasons he has found himself as a regular with the Carolina Hurricanes defensive core. So far this season, Chatfield has five goals and eight assists in 56 games played.

6. Quinton Byfield

Team: Los Angeles Kings

It may feel like you have been hearing Quinton Byfield’s name for years, and that is because you have. Only 22 years old, Byfield has been a pro hockey player for about five years now.

After a few years bouncing back and forth between the AHL and the NHL, he is now a full-time NHL regular. An assist machine, Byfield has scored 11 goals and 18 assists in 52 games played with the Kings this season.

5. Darnell Nurse

Team: Edmonton Oilers 

Rounding out the Top 5 of the Top 10 Black NHL Players is Darnell Nurse, the first current NHL player on the list, is currently playing as a defensemen with the Edmonton Oilers. Drafted 7^th overall in 2013 by the former WHA franchise, he has played his entire career thus far with them.

Nurse and the Oilers were very close to winning the Stanley Cup in 2024 but lost to the Panthers. So far in his career, he has played 640 games, scoring 76 goals and 191 assists.

4. Seth Jones

Team: Chicago Blackhawks 

The darling of Arlington, Texas, Seth Jones is currently in his 11^th season in the NHL. Jones’ junior career was one full of story lines as he left the USHL to play for Everett in the OHL, or the University of North Dakota.

He ended up not playing for either and ended up in Portland with the Winterhawks and went professional the next season with Nashville, who drafted him fourth overall.

Jones played for the Predators and Blue Jackets before ending up in Chicago. So far this season, Jones has six goals and 20 assists in 38 games.

3. Anthony Duclair

Team: San Jose Sharks

Anthony Duclair might have the best jersey collection in the league as he has played for the Islanders, Rangers, Coyotes, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Senators, Panthers, Sharks and Lightning.

Duclair started his career with the Rangers in 2013 and has always found himself in   a scoring role on the wing wherever he plays. Duclair currently has eight points in 26 games.

2. K’Andre Miller

Team: New York Rangers 

K’Andre Miller took his time to get to the NHL, and boy was it worth the wait. Drafted 22^nd overall in what could have been a franchise changing draft for the Rangers, Miller is the only pick left of the three first the Rangers had that draft.

Miller went pro with the Rangers after two seasons with the Badgers in the B1G and has been with the Rangers since, never touching development ice. Miller has four goals and nine assists in 49 games played.

1. Evander Kane

Team: Edmonton Oilers 

Now at #1 on the Top 10 Black Hockey Players 2025 Rankings list is Evander Kane, currently playing in Edmonton on the wing. Kane was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers 4^th overall in 2009. Since the team relocated, he has played for the Jets, Sabres and Sharks before landing in Edmonton.

Known for his controversial behavior but also heavy hitting and fighting skill, Kane is also offensively gifted. So far in his career, he has played 930 games with 326 goals and 291 assists.

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