On Thursday night, a day before the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, two on-ice officials made NHL history in Chicago.
When Referee Jordan Samuels-Thomas and linesman Shandor Alphonso skated onto the ice that evening, they became the first Black on-ice officials to work an NHL game together.
The game was Samuels-Thomas’ NHL debut and, according to William Douglas of NHL.com, it was the first time a Black on-ice official wore the orange and black referee armbands in 18 years.
Jay Sharrers first donned the bands on April 2nd, 2004 in the Islanders vs. Hurricanes game in Raleigh, NC. Sharrers was also the first Black on-ice official in NHL history when he officiated a Bruins game in 1990.
Samuels-Thomas understood the significance of the moment, which is why he wore the number 42 on Thursday in Chicago.
“When I played I was No. 42 for a reason, and with the opportunity to wear this number [it] was easy,” Samuels-Thomas said. “Being able to wear Jackie’s number is always special, so I got to do it as a player and now as an official. I wish I could keep this number forever.”
Samuels-Thomas grew up in West Harford, CT, and played collegiately at Quinnipiac University. He was also selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. After college, he played in the AHL and ECHL for a few years before retiring in 2020.
While Jordan never played in the NHL, he never lost his love for the game. That made Thursday night even more special.
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