Henry Maracle

Henry Elmer "Buddy" Maracle (September 8, 1904 – June 20, 1958) was a professional ice hockey player who played eleven games in the National Hockey League.[1] Born in Ayr, Ontario, but grew up in Haileybury, Ontario. He played with the New York Rangers. A member of the Mohawk tribe, Maracle was the first full-blooded First Nations hockey player in the National Hockey League at the time of his recall to the New York Rangers in March 1931.[2]

Henry Maracle
Buddy Maracle pictured in a 1931 newspaper
Born (1904-09-08)September 8, 1904
Ayr, Ontario, Canada
Died June 20, 1958(1958-06-20) (aged 53)
Dallas, Texas, US
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
Playing career 1926–1939

Early life

Research has suggested that Maracle's family heritage draws from the Oneida Mohawks. His family picked up and moved from the reserve at Six Nations of the Grand River to Ayr early in the 20th century. Maracle was born in Ayr in 1904 to Albert Maracle and Elsie Hill. After moving to Haileybury, Maracle took up the game of hockey at the high school level.[3]

Career

Maracle's hockey career lasted 20 years, and he is known to have suited up for teams across North America, including the North Bay Trappers of the NOHA, Toronto Industrial of the TIHL, the Springfield Indians of the CAHL, the New York Rangers of the NHL, the Bronx Tigers of the CAHL, the New Haven Eagles of the CAHL, the Philadelphia Arrows of the CAHL, the Tulsa Oilers of the AHA, and the Detroit Pontiacs of the MOHL.

Maracle spent six seasons in Springfield, and eventually became the club's captain.[3][4] He was called up to the NHL by the New York Rangers half-way through the 1930-31 season, and played 15 games for the team.[5]

Personal

Maracle married Josephine Hardman.[6] He died in Dallas, Texas in 1958 of complications from anemia. He had been a truck driver for a produce company at the time of his death.[7]

Legacy

The NHL has been hesitant to recognize and acknowledge Maracle's place in League history despite mounting evidence and research published in 2018 by multiple authors, including from The Ayr News and The Hockey News. Instead the focus has been to accept Fred Sasakmoose's 1953 debut with the Chicago Blackhawks as the league's first indigenous player representation in a regular season game.[3] In a competing claim, a third player, Paul Jacobs, is also alleged to have been the first indigenous player when he supposedly played a single game for the Toronto Arenas in the NHL in 1918, the league's second season. However, newspaper records suggest he may have only practiced with the team in the pre-season before heading back to Quebec.[3]

In 2018, the Rangers donated a pair of modern-day jerseys emblazoned with Maracle’s name and number 14 to rinks in Ayr and at Six Nations.[3]

In 2020, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame notified The Ayr News that Maracle was being considered for induction.[8]

References
  1. "Sorry Fred, but Henry came first - A few facts regarding aboriginal hockey players". sihrhockey.org. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  2. "Redskin Icer", Carroll Daily Herald, Monday, March 23, 1931, Carroll, Iowa, United States Of America
  3. News, The Hockey. "Setting the record straight: Maracle should be recognized as trailblazer". The Hockey News.
  4. "Elmer Maracle at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com.
  5. Smith, Stephen (2018-06-25). "Recasting the History of Pro Hockey's Indigenous Players". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
  6. "Henry Elmer "Buddy" Maracle (1904-1958) - Find A Grave Memorial". Find a Grave.
  7. "FamilySearch.org".
  8. "The Ayr News, November 25, 2020, online edition, free front page. By Irene Adeney - Issuu".
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