The Minority League The Minority League

Our interview continues with Ice Hockey in Harlem's Executive Director Malik Garvin and Board President JJ Velez. They talk about the need for community partnership to keep a program like theirs thriving and how corporate sponsors, the NHL and local volunteers are all crucial to this mission. We also discuss the need for growing the game and bringing new audiences to it, and we share all of our favorite hockey memories on our last episode of Season 3. 

Malik Garvin and JJ Velez tell us about their organization Ice Hockey in Harlem. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1987, and runs hockey and educational programs for lower income youth in New York City. Malik and JJ both participated in the program as kids, and now they are keeping the legacy going for the next generation.

We are taking a short break and will be back on March 26 with a new episode featuring Ice Hockey in Harlem.

On this episode, Alex Kim - Anaheim Junior Ducks' Director of Player Personnel and Head Coach - joins us. He also works as a scout for the United States Hockey League and is a founder of the Optimum Hockey Academy. He's working to grow the game for the Asian community through coaching, scouting and running a hockey Academy. He's even coached some current NHL players that you may recognize.

Sports agent John Kofi Osei-Tutu and professional hockey player Marc Johnstone join us on this episode. Johnstone made his NHL debut December 8, 2023 with the Pittsburgh Penguins when they played the Florida Panthers. They share their experiences navigating the sport and what it felt like to make an NHL debut after many years of dedication and hard work. 

Former NHL defenseman Mark Fraser talks about his current role in hockey as director of culture and inclusion for the Toronto Maple Leafs and what motivated him to go back into hockey after he’d left the sport. The Leafs are hosting this season’s All Star Game, and he gives us a preview of some of the events he’s been involved in.