One of the best kept secrets among the Montreal Canadiens was disclosed by defenceman Jordan Harris during a panel discussion about the documentary Black Ice focusing on Black hockey players.
“I’m really proud of my heritage and the way I grew up,” Harris said. “I feel extremely lucky to have been raised the way I was; biracial and Jewish, and raised to love hockey for what it is.”
Jewish? Who knew? Biracial? The same.
The Canadiens have had a few Jewish players over the years. Matthew Schneider, Jeff Halpern and Michael Cammalleri come to mind. Schneider made some outreach to the community. He even bought a home in Côte Saint-Luc before he was traded. Halperrn was here briefly and Cammalleri did not reach out at all.
“It’s been special for me to share my story throughout college and now that I’m playing professional hockey, I have a bigger platform than I had,” Harris continued. “ It’s special for me to share who I am with so many people because you never know who’s listening, watching, and dreaming of playing professional hockey. It’s such an incredible community to be a part of, so after seeing the film, it really hit home how many people felt as though they were unwelcome in the hockey community because of their race and their ethnicity. That really hit home for me, because it’s such a beautiful sport, and I’ve met so many beautiful people. You want everyone to feel welcome and at home and be able to share their passion for hockey.”
The screening of the film Black Ice was presented by the Canadiens as part of Black History Month.
By Mike Cohen
