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This Day in Black History: April 19, 2002

A Black man, Jarome Iginla, won the scoring title in the National Hockey League for the first time on April 19, 2002.

Jarome Iginla, a Canadian, is a renowned professional hockey player and he is a member of the Pittsburgh Penquins. He was previously a member of the Calgary Flames between 1996 and 2013.
On April 19, 2002, Iginla took home the Maurice Richard Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy as the National Hockey League's points leader, the first Black man to attain that achievement.  Earlier that season, Iginla made his first appearance in the NHL’s All-Star game, and he received a gold medal for his home country, Canada, in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Iginla was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1977. His father, a lawyer, was born in Nigeria and his mother was from Oregon and worked as a massage therapist and music teacher. Iginla grew up with his mother and grandparents after his parents divorced when he was 1.
He grew up admiring other Black hockey players, including Edmonton Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr. Emulating Fuhr, Iginla played goaltender in his first two years of organized hockey before switching to right wing.

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(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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