Photo credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
When it comes to hockey, Blake Bolden is no stranger to breaking ice ceilings. Dubbed the Jackie Robinson of women's hockey, in 2015 she became the first Black woman to play in the now-defunct National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), and five years later in 2020 she became the first Black woman to become a scout for the professional ice hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings.
In addition to being a pro scout for the Kings, Bolden is also the team's development and inclusion specialist and a member of the NHL's Player Inclusion Coalition. Committed to diversifying the sport of hockey, Bolden works hard to ensure youth from marginalized communities have access and exposure.
When the two-time world champion was introduced to Kendall Trautman, the two hit it off immediately. Trautman, whose daughter is a figure skater, told ESSENCE, “We realized we had an opportunity to make a big impact in our sport. I have partnered with the Toyota Sports Performance Center and the LA Kings to have diversity programs in figure skating and hockey. Since we met, Blake and I have been serving youth through these programs, the KingsCare Foundation and my organization, 24 Degrees of Color.”
According to their website, 24 Degrees of Color “goals are to diversify ice skating and ice hockey in Los Angeles County by making these sports more economically accessible, increasing the number of diverse athletes on the rinks, introducing youth to recreational ice sports, and providing the resources to participate competitively if interested.”
Last month, with the support of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, Bolden and Trautman helped more than 75 young players of color from Cleveland, Los Angeles and Detroit come to the Motor City for a weekend of cultural exchange, community building, sports clinics and scrimmages.
“The reason Kendall and I mesh so well together is because our missions and values are so aligned,” Bolden said, reflecting on his experiences playing youth hockey in Cleveland. “It was very tough. Financially, I think it's almost impossible, especially when you're just starting out in the game and you don't have a blueprint.”
“What I'm passionate about is laying out the blueprint and creating resources to help families who don't know what their next steps are,” Bolden continued. “My main goal is to diversify the sport. The NHL has a slogan that says, 'Hockey is for Everyone,' and I've basically lived that my whole life because every rink that I've competed on, I was the only person of color. Most of the time, I was the only girl on the team. It's so important to me now to spread that message, to make sure that people of color, girls on boys' teams, know, 'You're welcome here. You don't have to feel uncomfortable. You don't have to feel like you don't belong,' and part of my job is to continue to push back against those barriers.”
Now in his career, Bolden hopes to inspire those under his belt. “You can be a pro scout, you can get into hockey operations if that's what you're interested in, you can be a coach, a general manager, you can be anything in this sport, if you just keep trying to find your people,” Bolden said.
