Angela James: the first Black woman in the Hockey Hall of Fame

The improbable story of Angela James's incredible hockey success began on the streets of Toronto and through the years, took her to the Hockey Hall of Fame, where she is considered one of the first superstars of women's hockey.

The Flemingdon Park area of Toronto has been known as a tough neighborhood, where all manner of trouble lurked amidst the public housing. But while some in the area drifted into areas that got them into trouble, Angela was able to resist those vices. "Hockey was my savior," she admits. "It helped me go in the right direction."

Without access to girls' or women's ice hockey leagues at the time, Angela was registered in a boys' novice league, but only after her mother threatened legal action as league convenors were opposed to a girl playing in the boys' league. But at eight years of age, she was so good that she was moved up to peewee, where she played with 11- and 12-year-old boys. That lasted but one year before the league wouldn't allow her to continue playing.

There was a girls' league nearby, but Angela would need to travel some distance by bus in order to make her games. Her single-parent family, living in subsidized housing, sacrificed substantially to allow Angela to continue pursuing her passion for hockey. The league saw Angela playing with adult women, but she still dominated.

Learn More: The Hockey Hall of Fame: Angela James

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