The moment that the Sudbury Wolves’ Quinton Byfield was chosen by the LA Kings in this year’s NHL Draft, he’d already made history as the highest selected Black player in the history of the game.
Though he’s yet to appear in his first NHL contest, he’s already having success in the AHL with the Ontario Reign, where he has seven points in seven games played. Not only that, but he’s also already inspiring the upcoming generation of NHL fans and players.
While there is some Black representation in the NHL, Byfield’s elite status after being drafted first overall to the OHL and second overall to the NHL set a new standard for Black players entering the league. Everyone knows how important representative role models are; if kids can see someone who looks like them living their dreams, goals feel a lot more attainable and possibilities seem endless.
Five-year-old Desmond Garrett proves this. Garrett is a social media phenomenon from Indianapolis, known for the great hockey videos that his parents have been posting since he was three.
The five-year-old shared this photo to his Twitter, just proving how important representation and role models are in sports and all areas of life.
Byfield responded to the tweet, and our hearts are officially warm.
How nice is this?! We have a feeling this next generation of players is going to continue to grow the game, and we can’t wait to see the talent people like Byfield inspire.
