THE VERDICT: Sasakamoose Paved NHL Path for Indigenous Men to Follow

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Dec. 25, 2020 and has been updated
When Fred Sasakamoose passed away recently, his remarkable saga resonated throughout the hockey community. Although he only played briefly with the Blackhawks, Sasakamoose defined a path to the National Hockey League for numerous Indigenous men, a legacy that justly elevated him to hero status in the First Nation.
"A trail blazer for our people," praised Jordin Tootoo, whose extensive NHL tenure ended with the Blackhawks during the 2016-17 season. "I had a nice career, and loved Chicago, where the younger of our two daughters, Avery, was born. I met Fred, and was awed just to be in his presence. Humble, great spirit, led by example.

"I don't know that I would have realized my dream if it wasn't for Fred Sasakamoose. He was the lone soldier in his time. An outsider, going to a big city like Chicago after leaving a remote area where he grew up. We are resilient people. We rely on each other for support. But I can't imagine the pressure that was on him."
Sasakamoose, who would have been 89 on this Christmas Day, died in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, after being hospitalized with COVID-19. In his final days, Sasakamoose was finishing his book, "Call Me Indian." As many admirers noted, it might read like fiction, except it's all true.

Another former Blackhawk, Rene Bourque, captured the essence of Sasakamoose.
"I am Metis," Bourque was saying from Kelowna, British Columbia, where his neighbor is Brent Seabrook. "I grew up in Lac La Biche, three hours north of Edmonton. Half my buddies were like me, Indigenous. All of us kids, hockey all the time, during the Oilers' heyday, wanting to be the next Wayne Gretzky. Or Bryan Trottier (who wrote the forward to Sasakamoose's book.)
"Different era. I wasn't that aware of him until I was probably in my '20s. I met him in Chicago once, and have read a lot about him lately. So many Native kids start life behind the eight-ball. But I can't compare what we endured. A breakthrough for us was not like what Fred accomplished. Ours wasn't a burden.
"It's not a big deal now for Indigenous players to make the NHL. So many now. Carey Price lives here, for one. Craig Berube had a good run, and then he coached the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup. Dale McCourt. Stan Jonathan. But Fred, what he went through, he was a pioneer. An incredible story. It's almost a miracle, when you think about it. A miracle."

Sasakamoose, a nimble forward, debuted with the Blackhawks on Nov. 20, 1953, against the Boston Bruins, who prevailed 2-0 at Chicago Stadium. That was not an unusual outcome for the Blackhawks, who won only 12 of 70 games and finished a resounding last in the standings. Still, goalie Al Rollins earned the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
That oddity merited a headline, but so did Sasakamoose.
Wearing No. 21, a jersey later worn by Stan Mikita and since retired, Sasakamoose participated in 11 games, and did not register a goal or assist. His presence, however, was by no means pointless.
"There have been many Indigenous players since I started," Sasakamoose wrote in an excerpt. "But it's good to think I inspired Indian kids way back then. Showed them, showed everyone, that we could make it in a white world."

Born to the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Sasakamoose was one of 11 children, only five of whom reached adolescence. He was introduced to hockey by a grandfather who fastened blades to the boy's moccasins, handed him a tree branch for a stick, and sent the youngster off to a frozen lake with a "puck" of hardened cow manure.
At age 6, Sasakamoose and brother Frank were taken in a truck by uninvited agents to a so-called "residential school" far from their reservation. All you need to know is that, years later, the Canadian government apologized to Natives and issued reparations.
A caring priest mercifully whisked Sasakamoose off to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where he refined his hockey skills. He played four years with the Moose Jaw Canucks of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League. In his last season there, he scored 31 goals in 34 games, prompting the Blackhawks (then the Black Hawks) to summon him to the NHL for only a few weeks. He attended training camp with the Blackhawks in 1954, but was sent down. Sasakamoose spent the rest of his active career in development leagues, and the rest of his rich life as a mentor.
Son Neil noted that Fred fashioned his Blackhawks' logo wherever he went, all the better to encourage kids who might just be starting to think big.
"My father never believed in racism," added Neil. "He was never bitter. He never believed in hate. He believed in us getting along with non-Native people and races all over the world."

Fred Sasakamoose served as chief of the Ahtakapoop Cree Nation, overseeing youth sports with the All Nations Hockey School and the "Fred Sasakamoose Chief Thunderstruck" tournament. He was inducted into multiple halls of fame and received the Order of Canada, a honor bestowed on that country's most respected civilians.
"Every generation, there are people who fight for what is right, who break down barriers, who pave the way for others," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Fred Sasakamoose was one of those people. After he survived the residential school system, after he made history as one of the first Indigenous players in the NHL, he returned to give back."
Reggie Leach, a prolific scorer who was an important part of the Philadelphia Flyers' 1975 Stanley Cup, aptly praised Fred Sasakamoose:
"Many people say he played only 11 games. But those 11 games were everything for the First Nation."