Washington Capitals welcome back Bill Riley to celebrate Black History Month

At the age of 71 and with decades of hockey success behind him, Bill Riley’s number-one passion in life remains unchanged.

“I love hockey to death and there’s no game like it in the world," said Riley.

Riley played parts of four seasons with the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals from 1974-1979. His teammate Mike Marson was the first-ever Black player for Washington and Riley was the second.

Together they made hockey history.

“We were the first two to ever play in the National Hockey League, to play on the same team and at times on the same line,” said Riley, who was also the first Black Nova Scotian to reach the NHL.

Counting his final season with the Winnipeg Jets, Riley played 139 career NHL games along with 391 games in the American Hockey League.

“I played power play and I was out there in the last minute in a period and in the last-minute of games,” said Riley.

The Capitals flew Riley back to Washington this past weekend to celebrate Black History Month, his first visit back to his former hockey home in more than three decades.

Riley’s granddaughter Kryshanda Green made the trip with him. She is an elite hockey player in her own right and the first-ever Black captain of the Ryerson Rams women’s hockey team.

The pair will drop the puck at centre ice in a pre-game ceremony Monday night.

“We are going to be doing lots of things, going to the practice facility at Fort Dupont," said Riley. "I am pretty pumped.”

Dean Smith, Hockey Nova Scotia’s diversity and inclusion task force chair, said Riley is finally receiving long overdue acknowledgment for his outstanding career, in both the NHL and American Hockey League.

“I was absolutely elated that Washington called him to come drop the puck for African Heritage Month," said Smith. "As the first African Nova Scotian player to play in the NHL he is deserving of these accolades. I think it’s important to recognize Bill for his accomplishments and I think it is long overdue.”

His home province will soon honour Riley as well.

“Hockey Nova Scotia committed to establishing the Bill Riley Award and Bill Riley Scholarship," said Smith.

The scholarship is for $2,000 for a student of African descent entering post-secondary education.

“I was always proud of the fact that I came from Nova Scotia," said Riley.