On February 27, 2026, Black Lives Matter Sudbury and Contact interculturel francophone de Sudbury hosted a film screening of Black Ice, followed by a panel discussion organized by BLMS. Nearly 90 people joined us, with many staying for an honest conversation about the realities Black players and families face in hockey.

We heard from Delroy Montaque, U18AAA coach with Sudbury Minor Hockey Association, Kamilah Francis, and Rhys Johnson, who spoke candidly about accountability, allyship, underrepresentation, and lived experiences on and off the ice.

In Northern Ontario, just 45 of nearly 14,000 players in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association identify as Black, a reminder that this is about systems, not isolated incidents.

Racism in hockey is real. So is the love for the game. Black players and families continue to show up, claim space, and push for better.