Akil Thomas Proud to be an Ambassador for NHL's Black History Month

We're only two months into 2020, but it's been a whirlwind of a year for Akil Thomas.
That will happen when you score the game-winning goal in the final minutes of the Gold Medal match at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
The World Juniors isn't just another tournament for Canada. It's the tournament for Canada.
From Boxing Day through January 5, families across the country become fully invested in watching the most promising under-20 players showcase their skills on the world stage.
Growing up in Scarborough, Ontario, meant Akil's admiration for the World Juniors started young. It was the main reason he stuck with hockey full time, when so many other hobbies piqued his interests.
"I remember growing up watching [John] Tavares in the World Juniors, [P.K.] Subban in the World Juniors," Akil said. "I literally grew up going to practice, thinking I was one of them and in my mind saying, 'I'm John Tavares. I'm going to score a big goal.'"
And on January 5… he did.

Watch: Youtube Video
It took him two full weeks to respond to the hundreds of direct messages he received - making sure to reply to every single one - and six weeks after the fact, he's still speechless.
"It's even weird talking about it. It just doesn't feel real," Akil said. "It's just crazy, and obviously it was pretty cool. I'm thankful for the opportunity to make it happen."
He hopes the spotlight he's received will allow him to be a role model and inspiration to young hockey players.
"That would mean the world to me, because I knew how much those guys Tavares and Subban] impacted me and made me push harder to be better."
[Instagram from @akilthomas44: Always a pleasure @hockeycanada
Those who know Akil will tell you he's incredibly thoughtful, a leader in his community, an entrepreneur, an ambassador for the game, and mature beyond his years. He's not like most 20-year-old athletes, let alone like most regular 20-year-olds.
He credits his mom and dad, Akilah and Kahlil, for teaching him to be independent and resourceful.
"I think that's definitely why I'm the person I am today," Akil said. "I'm pretty thankful for it."
He fell in love with hockey from watching his dad, who played professionally for many years, and now serves as an assistant coach for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL.
"He's someone I looked up to my whole life. I just wanted to be like him," he said.
And through her laid-back attitude and free spirit, his mom, Akilah, instilled strong foundations and supported his self-driven passion for hockey.
Those foundations meant Akil had certain liberties, like not having a curfew growing up because he knew better than to come home too late. Even if it meant bringing all his friends - sometimes the whole team - over to his house in order to make it home at a decent hour so his family wouldn't worry.
Instagram from @akilthomas44: Ran into my twin at the staples Center 😜
"I had to figure a lot of things out on my own, and I wasn't babied at all," Akil said. "Obviously, they were there to support me, guide me in the right direction."
With four siblings - Rae, Kayah, Akyn and Kayjah - Akil also learned at an early age how to get from Point A to Point B. He took the subway an hour each way to a private prep school in Toronto, Upper Canada College.
It was there that Akil started volunteering with The Community Foundation to raise funds for homeless or unemployed community members. He and his mom would get up at 5:30 a.m. - often when it was pitch black and below zero in the winter - to stand outside the subway stations and collect token donations for those less fortunate.
Those are the values that the Thomas family stands for. They jump enthusiastically and head-first into anything that will help better the community. So, when the
NHL's Black History Month
rolled around this year, they relished at the opportunity to celebrate their rich diversity.
"Kahlil, myself and our children are all mixed," Akilah said. "We have multiple races in us but we were always colorblind."
Their race was never the forefront of the conversation until Kahlil started playing hockey and later, when Akilah became involved in hockey through him and Akil.
"All of a sudden, we were reminded of our color on the ice or in the rink," Akilah said. "It was a realization that, 'Oh my gosh, I think we're black.'"
Instagram from @akilthomas44: Throwback to when my dad was kind of a big deal💎 #mrv #nsc❤️
Being involved in hockey through two generations, Akilah and Kahlil have seen first-hand how the game has evolved over the past 30 years.
"When I started going to hockey games, it would've been 1991. Back then, there was no diversity in hockey like it is now," Akilah said. "It was sometimes difficult for Akil's] dad growing up."
Akilah said fortunately her son has not experienced the same direct divisiveness.
"Because he was such an incredible person and player, it broke down a lot of those barriers because I believe a lot of people were like, 'Well, how can you hate Akil? Regardless of his color, how can you not like that kid?' He's always going to be 100 percent respectful and mannerly. There's nothing not to like."
For them, the NHL's Black History Month exemplifies the fact that the world is evolving to include more love and less division.
"The world is changing in that way. It's creating a wave," Akilah said. "And the inclusion of black hockey players - not just that they're signed and they're silent, but they're signed, and they're celebrated. So that's the change that is just phenomenal."
Earlier in the month, Akil joined the NHL's first black American-born player, Val James, to pay a visit to the
[NHL's Black Hockey History Truck Tour
, which discusses and celebrates the history of black hockey players.
Watch: Youtube Video
For the second-annual time, the NHL's Black Hockey History Truck will stop at STAPLES Center on February 26, as the LA Kings celebrate Black History Month in an effort to continue the conversation of inclusivity.
"To see an influential team like LA showcasing it, it is everything," Akilah said. "It brings tears to my eyes almost every single time. It's just so beautiful."
Being part of the NHL's Black History Month celebrations is just the beginning of Akil's contributions to the game of hockey both on and off the ice.
"I want to play in the NHL one day and I just want to do as much as I can outside of hockey," Akil said. "That's the kind of person I was raised to be."