On Thursday night, a day before the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, two on-ice officials made NHL history in Chicago.
When Referee Jordan Samuels-Thomas and linesman Shandor Alphonso skated onto the ice that evening, they became the first Black on-ice officials to work an NHL game together.
The game was Samuels-Thomas’ NHL debut and, according to William Douglas of NHL.com, it was the first time a Black on-ice official wore the orange and black referee armbands in 18 years.
Jay Sharrers first donned the bands on April 2nd, 2004 in the Islanders vs. Hurricanes game in Raleigh, NC. Sharrers was also the first Black on-ice official in NHL history when he officiated a Bruins game in 1990.
Samuels-Thomas understood the significance of the moment, which is why he wore the number 42 on Thursday in Chicago.
“When I played I was No. 42 for a reason, and with the opportunity to wear this number [it] was easy,” Samuels-Thomas said. “Being able to wear Jackie’s number is always special, so I got to do it as a player and now as an official. I wish I could keep this number forever.”
Samuels-Thomas grew up in West Harford, CT, and played collegiately at Quinnipiac University. He was also selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. After college, he played in the AHL and ECHL for a few years before retiring in 2020.
While Jordan never played in the NHL, he never lost his love for the game. That made Thursday night even more special.
“Growing up all you want to do is be in the NHL,” said Samuels-Thomas. “And I’m 31 years old and it’s been a lifetime of work and I had all my family here in the stands and friends and everyone who’s been with me along the way. So, special to share the moment with them.”
It was another moment representing the fierce fight for diversity and inclusion that’s bubbled up in hockey over the last few years.
Journalists like Shireen Ahmed, groups like Black Girl Hockey and the Carnegie Initiative, and books like “Game Misconduct” by Evan F. Moore and Jashvina Shah have forced open the doors of acceptance, and hockey gradually responded in kind.
Last May, the Tampa Bay Lightning became the first team in NHL history to start three Black forwards in a regular-season NHL game.
In January, 23-year-old Jason Ross Jr. became the first Black announcer in Chicago Blackhawks history.
In February, the Seattle Kraken featured the first all-Black broadcast team to announce an NHL game.
The Premier Hockey League (PHL) features two teams with Black and BIPOC owners. Hockey legend Willie O’Ree invested in the Boston Pride and a BIPOC ownership group bought the Toronto Six.
Add to this the news that Jamaica could field an Olympic hockey team in the 2026 Games and you get the feeling that hockey has finally embraced the need for change.
While it still has a way to go, these are all steps in the right direction, and seeing two Black on-ice officials adds another historic moment to hockey’s diversity evolution.
“I think it’s just an exciting moment in NHL history,” said Sharrers, who also worked Thursday’s game as a managing official. “Just showing how the game has changed from the amount of Black players and players of different ethnic backgrounds who are now in the League, I think it’s an exciting moment and it’s nice to see our team now have that kind of representation.”
