<P> The National Hockey League evolved from a mono - ethnic and primarily Canadian professional athletic league to span North America . The distribution of ethnic groups has been gradually changing since the inception of the NHL . The league consists of a variety of players from varying nationalities and diverse backgrounds . Once known as a league riddled with racism and exclusiveness, the NHL has made positive steps toward a more diverse and inclusive institution . According to statistics, gathered by www.quanthockey.com, the NHL began its expansion of player nationalities in the 1970s, where players hailed from the United States, Sweden, and Finland . The share of Canadians in the league dropped to 75% by the 1980s and is now slightly less than 50% . The NHL is composed of 93% of players who designate themselves as white with the remaining 7% of varying ethnicities . The NHL currently has 32 players of African - American descent . Some notable current NHL stars of African descent are Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane, Joel Ward, Wayne Simmonds and PK Subban . The league also has ethnic Arab stars such as Brandon Saad, Justin Abdelkader and Nazem Kadri . Players of Indian / Punjabi origin include Manny Malhotra and Jujhar Khaira . </P> <P> After its inception in 1917, there were no African - descent players in the NHL throughout the 1970s--marked by a rise in black power movements--and into the early 1980s . This number moved to 26 by the end of the 20th century and sits at 32 in 2016 . This is a seemingly minor yet significant change in the racial demographic of the NHL in its hundred - year history . </P> <P> Herb Carnegie was the first Canadian ice hockey player of African descent in the game while Val James was the first American - born black player to skate in the NHL . James signed his contract with the Buffalo Sabres in 1982 . His stint with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs were short lived and he eventually retired in 1987 due to injury . He experienced racism as the first player throughout his skating career . He never spoke of racism on the ice until 30 years after his career ended . In his account, he reported he could not watch hockey games for 10 years after leaving the ice without being haunted by the memories of his treatment as a man of color in the NHL . His hostile experiences were and continue to be representative of how institutional racism permeates the culture and socialization of men (and women) sports . An biography of his life in the sport was published under the title Black Ice: The Val James Story written by John Gallagher . </P>

What percentage of nhl players are from the us