Dan Hodgson. (Prince Albert Raiders)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Racism in Hockey

‘Surprised but not surprised’: Cree hockey player discusses continual issue of racism in sport

Feb 6, 2023 | 5:00 PM

One of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) greatest players, who is Cree, said he isn’t surprised to see Indigenous players today being racially discriminated against.

Dan Hodgson, who played three years for the Prince Albert Raiders, spoke to paNOW after three former members of Harvard University’s women’s hockey team shared their experiences within the athletic department. This includes Sydney Daniels from Mistawasis who is taking legal action against the school for alleged racial discrimination within the school’s athletic department.

“As much as we like to think we’ve made great advances on this, it seems that some people are still stuck on racism,” Hodgson said.

While he never experienced any issues from coaches or teammates, he still experienced his fair share of hate.

Hodgson still remembers playing back in the 70s and having fans shout at him, calling him an ‘Indian.’ This was before his professional days as his first games in the WHL came in the 1980-81 season.

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He claims he wasn’t that affected by it, though he did come up with a way to help stop people from doing it over and over again.

“I came up with a joke when somebody called me an Indian or something like that. I’d say ‘oh, thanks for reminding me I almost forgot’ and I would just laugh it off and make them feel stupid,” he said.

The one situation where he knew his joke wouldn’t be enough was during a game in Switzerland when he was playing in the country’s top league in the early 2000s. While he doesn’t remember the exact words, he does remember being targeted by an opposing player who called him a ‘dirty Indian’ or something to that effect.

“I was really taken aback by that, I was shocked,” he said.

Moving forward, he’s hoping situations like the one coming out of Harvard don’t deter Indigenous youth from lacing up their skates.

When asked if he had any advice for those shying away from the sport or contemplating leaving it, Hodgson highlighted something his parents used to tell him.

“They’re not speaking about you; they’re speaking about themselves,” he said. “They’re showing their colours… they’re showing their ignorance.”

On a lighter note, Hodgson was recently one of five Indigenous hockey players who received their first-ever trading card from Upper Deck. Enjoying this milestone alongside Hodgson were Johnny Harms, Rocky Trottier, William LeCaine, and Jason Simon.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow