John Paris left Nova Scotia a young man and carved out a remarkable hockey career
As John Paris looks back on his hockey career, his mind quickly goes to where it all started in his hometown of Windsor, N.S.
“My earliest hockey memory would be putting on those skates with the two blades,” said Paris.
He says his father took hockey seriously.
“He took the time to educate us,” said Paris, who added when a game was on television, before going to bed he would sit down with his dad.
“He would ask me questions about the game and explain it and he did that for all of us.”
As a teenager, Paris left Nova Scotia to play hockey at elite levels. Sadly, he experienced racism within the sport.
"I could tell you horror stories that were life-threatening against my family and children, but that’s not what really matters," said Paris. "What matters is that we break down the walls of resistance and we have more culpability towards those who are participating.”
When his playing career ended, Paris climbed the coaching ladder and became the Atlanta Knights head coach.
He won the International Hockey League championship in 1994.
"Who would’ve thought a five-foot-four-and-a-half Black kid from Windsor would be standing there coaching the affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning to a championship,” said Paris. “How surreal and you have to be living it to really be able to explain it.”
Winning a championship at the minor pro level did not result in Paris being promoted to the NHL coaching ranks.
It's something that frustrates his brother Percy.
"There were a lot of people who are better, they were overlooked," said Percy. "I think of John Paris and I think of Herb Carnegie.”
With his mind focused on African Heritage Month, Paris insists his successes in hockey are small, compared to the sacrifices made by others before him.
“We overlook the importance of females and it’s always been the women in the Black culture that have made change," said Paris. “They have been the ones who have stepped forward and said 'Enough is enough.' It’s always been a woman who sat down on a bus and said 'I’m not getting up.' And the whole world stood up.”
It is a remarkable and enlightening attitude by John Paris -- an African Canadian icon and Nova Scotia-born hockey hero.
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