Color of Hockey: Joslin makes history as first Black coach in NWHL

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog for the past nine years. Douglas joined NHL.com in March 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Mark Joslin, the first Black coach to lead a National Women's Hockey League team.

Mark Joslin was named coach of Toronto of the National Women's Hockey League on June 7, becoming the first Black person to guide a team in the NWHL's six years of existence.
The 57-year-old native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, replaces Digit Murphy, who coached Toronto in its inaugural season. She remains the team's president.
"I wish my mom and dad were alive to share this with me, they would be very proud," said Joslin, the son of a Black mother and white father. "I'm very honored and excited for the opportunity, especially the direction the league is going in. It's been a dream of mine to always coach pro hockey."
Joslin has worked in hockey for more than 20 years, most recently with Toronto of the Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2016-20. He was the team's general manager for the first two seasons before adding coaching responsibilities.
Before that, he coached for Aurora and North York of the OJHL, operated his own skills program, was a scout for Oshawa and Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League and coached in the Greater Toronto Hockey League.
"Getting my first chance at pro, I'm going to bring tons of integrity, tons of fire, tons of passion to these girls to get to the next level if that's what their wish is," he said. "I'm going to make sure that they have the same passion and fire that I'm going to bring."

Murphy said Joslin's combination of leadership and teaching skills made him the ideal choice to coach Toronto as it enters its second NWHL season.
"He is someone who has spent his career educating and empowering the future, perfectly matching our pillars, and with his many successes, is the perfect fit to lead our team forward," she said.
Toronto forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis, who in April became the NWHL's first Black most valuable player, lauded Joslin's hiring.
"It's definitely a huge step," said Grant-Mentis, who tied for the league lead in scoring with nine points (five goals, four assists) in six games this season, which was shortened due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. "I'm glad to see it happen in our sport. I wish it could have been a female, but a male being the first Black coach in (NWHL) history is good as well. I've heard a lot of good things from males who've played for him. I'm sure he's up to the challenge with all the teams he's coached and the success he's had."

Joslin said he was so excited about his new job he called his friend Angela James, who became the second Black player (after former NHL goalie Grant Fuhr) inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 and was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in February, to ask if she'd like to lend him a hand.
James, a rugged, high-scoring forward who was regarded as the "Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey," helped power Canada to victories at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1997.
"I said, 'Hey, if we make this work, we'd have a pretty colorful bench and have some fun with it,' " said Joslin, who got to know James when they played for Toronto's Seneca College in the 1980s. "Just her presence alone, being a Hall of Famer, one of the best of all time, would spark up the girls even more."

James said she was flattered and told Joslin to "just be yourself and coach the way you know how to coach, bring your own style to it."
"I think the Toronto Six are going to be fortunate to have a coach like Mark behind the bench giving some leadership and direction," she said. "But, yeah, I'd definitely be more than happy to go in, help, take a look, give him a hand in anything he may need. Absolutely."
Toronto went 4-1-1 playing in a bubble in Lake Placid, New York, and clinched the top seed in the Isobel Cup playoffs. However, the playoffs were suspended Feb. 3 due to positive COVID-19 cases.
The games resumed in March at Warrior Ice Arena, the Boston Bruins' practice facility, and Toronto lost to Boston 6-2 in the NWHL semifinal game.

Joslin joins a small fraternity of Black coaches who have led professional teams. Dirk Graham became the first Black coach in the NHL when he guided the Chicago Blackhawks for 52 games in 1998-99.
John Paris Jr. became the first Black coach to lead a professional hockey team to a championship when Atlanta of the International Hockey League won the Turner Cup in 1994. Graeme Townshend, who was the first NHL player born in Jamaica, coached Macon of the Central Hockey League in 1999-2000. Leo Thomas, the uncle of Los Angeles Kings forward prospect Akil Thomas, coached Macon of the Southern Professional Hockey League from May 2018 to November 2019.
The NHL Coaches' Association, which has embarked on programs to improve diversity and inclusion within the coaching ranks, said Joslin's hiring is a positive step.
"Seeing more coaches of color at the professional level, particularly the women's sport, is encouraging that together, the hockey community is making positive progress in our endeavors," the association said in a statement.
Photos: Michelle Jay/NWHL; OJHL Images