Leveling the Ice

“From the nineteenth-century birth of the Colored Hockey League to the NHL’s well-intentioned but clumsy efforts to remake its problematic racial legacy, Leveling the Ice chronicles both the history and current consequences of hockey’s race problem. The ‘culture of hockey’ Sandor describes is troubling but vital to understanding the modern game, its place in both sports and the broader culture, and the barriers that exist for those beyond the bounds of racial gatekeeping who play, want to play, or watch. Anyone who cares about hockey, or about the phenomenon of race in sport more broadly, absolutely must read this book.” —Thomas Aiello, author of White Ice: Race and the Making of Atlanta Hockey “Instead of handing down buzzwords from an ivory tower, Steven Sandor takes us on the ice and inside the locker room, revealing stories that range from the obscure to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He isn’t scared to turn the lens on his own inherent biases as a member of the established media. Necessary reading for anyone who cares about the future of the sport.” —Greg Oliver, Society for International Hockey Research