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Blake Bolden is an American ice hockey player and scout for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. She became the first African-American player in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL; rebranded Premier Hockey League (PHF) in 2021) on October 11, 2015.
She won the Clarkson Cup in 2015 with the Canadian Women's Hockey League's Boston Blades (CWHL). She also won the Isobel Cup with the Boston Pride of the NWHL in 2016.
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When asked how she sees the future of hockey, Blake Bolden was unequivocal:
"The more women and people of color who are passionate about the game and have experience in the game can help shape our future to be better."
Bolden recalls being the only girl on her hockey team when she was younger. She struggled to find her place in the sport after not having many hockey athletes who looked like her to turn to for support. Her work aims to change that for the benefit of her mentorship group and the next generation of athletes.
Blake Bolden said:
"Women are very strong and powerful, and I don't think there was much light on that when I was growing up,"
"When I got to see the 1998 team and go through the autograph line and meet Angela Ruggiero and people that I looked up to, that was life-changing for me. It was something tangible, and I can kind of see myself going down that road."
Blake Bolden National Women's Hockey League career
The Premier Hockey Federation, formerly known as the National Women's Hockey League and the first women's hockey league to pay a salary, announced its intention to begin playing in the 2015-16 season. Blake Bolden joined NWHL's Boston Pride on October 11, 2015, becoming the league's first African-American player.
Bolden was chosen for the second NWHL All-Star Game, where she won the fastest shot skills game with a shot of 87 mph. Bolden left the NWHL in May 2017 to join the HC Lugano women's team in Switzerland.
Bolden signed a contract with the NWHL's Buffalo Beauts on August 15, 2018, and remained with the team until May 2019.
