Blake Bolden helping cultivate next generation of diverse hockey stars
LOS ANGELES (BVM) – Blake Bolden’s illustrious hockey career was nearly over before it really got going. After an impressive tenure at Boston College where she appeared in all 37 games as a captain during her senior season, was named the Hockey East Defenseman of the Year and a first team Hockey East All-Star, Bolden’s spirit and aspirations were dashed.
The Cleveland native said she had wanted to play in the Olympics since she was a little girl and with her 2013 graduation from Boston College coming just months before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, it appeared to be perfect timing.
“I didn’t make the cut and my whole life kind of blew up in my face,” Bolden said. “I graduated with a degree from a reputable university and I didn’t have any clue of what I wanted to do.”
Bolden returned home to Ohio, cried a bit and worked three different jobs before she finally got a call. Legendary coach Margaret Pearl “Digit” Murphy was on the other end to deliver Bolden the news that the Boston Blades would select her in the first round of the 2013 Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) Draft.
“That is when I said, ‘My job isn’t done, I love this game, I’m still great at it’ and lo and behold, I’m where I am because of that phone call,” Bolden said.
Bolden’s selection as the fifth overall pick in the 2013 CWHL Draft was not only a smart move for the Blades, but it was also a historical one. She became the first Black player taken in the first round in CWHL Draft history. A year later, Bolden competed in the first CWHL All-Star Game and a year after that, she helped Boston win the Clarkson Cup.
When the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) — the first women’s hockey league to pay a salary — announced its inaugural season in October of 2015, Bolden made even more history. She signed with the Boston Pride and became the first Black player to compete in the NWHL before helping the team win the inaugural Isobel Cup.
Bolden played pro hockey for seven years, made history and multiple All-Star games, but it’s the inspiration she was able to offer young children who look like her that holds the most weight.
“I’m proud of that, I’m proud of the championships I’ve won but I think the relationships that I’ve cultivated, the young boys and girls I’ve been able to inspire means way more to me than a slapshot competition or a trophy that I won,” Bolden said.
"When I was a little girl I didn't look up and see anyone that looked like me so I really took that to heart and I want to be that person for all the little girls behind me." — Blake Bolden@SportBlake joined Willie O'Ree to discuss breaking the @NWHL color barrier in 2015 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/M6F9mi4j0t
— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 2, 2020
After a short stint playing in Switzerland and then back in the NWHL where she was named the 2019 NWHL Defensive Player of the Year, Bolden recently added another “first” to her impressive resume.
She became the first Black woman pro scout in the NHL when the Los Angeles Kings hired her in February 2020 as a Scout and Growth Inclusion Specialist. Now that she has entered the NHL where people of color make up just 3% of the player pool, the goal is to continue helping that number grow.
“When I started playing hockey, it was because of a happenstance,” Bolden said. “It was because my mom met a man whose favorite sport was ice hockey, not because I grew up and thought that I could play ice hockey. That’s the mindset I would love to change.
“I would love a young boy or girl to say, ‘Hey, I see that sport on TV, how do I start to play that?’ or, ‘I see someone that looks like me and that looks really cool; I want to join.’”
Blake Bolden (@SportBlake) is a total game changer. 👏 #NHLGenderEquality | #HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/xgMWqFXRno
— NHL (@NHL) March 8, 2021
Bolden isn’t just hoping for increased diversity in her favorite sport, she’s doing something about it.
She recently launched “EmBolden Her,” a women’s hockey mentorship program, with Play it Again Sports. Bolden’s personal slogan is to “be bold.” It’s a part of her last name and it’s something she constantly reminds herself of.
“As I was growing up in this sport, I conformed a lot, I wanted to be liked a lot, I was a people-pleaser and I didn’t challenge myself or embrace my differences,” Bolden said. “I really think that is what these young kids need, especially right now with the distractions that are going on in the world.”
The six-month virtual program began in September and focuses on mental toughness, mindset coaching, nutrition and “all the things, if you put them in a pot, that make you the best player you can be on and off the ice.’ Last month, Bolden called on Meghan Duggan – women’s ice hockey great and captain of the U.S. team at the 2018 Winter Olympics which won gold – to join “EmBolden Her” and allow the mentees to pick her brain.
Bolden has been nothing short of a trailblazer in the sport of hockey and through “EmBolden Her,” the hope is that she can help cultivate the next generation of diverse hockey stars.
“I want these girls to learn how to be authentically themselves, to have the mindset to overcome any challenge on and off the ice and to develop a community for them to feel empowered in speaking their truth or communicating their feelings,” Bolden said. “It’s been such a pleasure and honor to be a part of this group.”
