NHL diversity milestones
| 1948 |
| The New York Rangers invite Herb Carnegie to their training camp to play for their minor leauge team, but he refuses and opts to play semi-pro. |
| 1949 |
| George Armstrong joins the Toronto Maple Leafs and becomes the first Native Canadian (First Nation) to play in the NHL. |
| 1950 |
| Art Dorrington becomes the first black player to sign an NHL contract when he joins the New York Rangers. However, Dorrington never makes it to the NHL. |
| 1958 |
| Willie O'Ree breaks the NHL color barrier when he makes his debut with the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18. |
| 1984 |
| Grant Fuhr becomes the first black player to win the Stanley Cup when the Edmonton Oilers defeat the New York Islanders. |
| 1988 |
| Grant Fuhr becomes the first black player to win the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. ... The Chicago Blackhawks name Dirk Graham captain, making him the first black player to wear the 'C.' ... Tony McKegney becomes the first black player to scpre 40 goals in a season. |
| 1990 |
| South Korean native Jim Paek becomes the first Asian to play in the NHL when he suits up for the Pittsburgh Penguins. |
| 1991 |
| Bill Guerin joins the New Jersey Devils, making him the first Hispanic to play in the NHL. ... Tony McKegney becomes the first minority to play on the Canadian National Team. |
| 1994 |
| John Paris leads the IHL's Atlanta Knights to a championship as the first black head coach in professional hockey. |
| 1995 |
| Anaheim's Paul Kariya becomes the first Asian player to score 50 goals in a season. |
| 1997 |
| Ted Nolan, of the First Nations Ojibway tribe, wins the Jack Adams Award as the league's Coach of the Year. |
| 1998 |
| Dirk Graham becomes the first black NHL head coach when he is hired to become the Chicago Blackhawks bench boss. |
| 2000 |
| New Jersey's Scott Gomez, of Mexican and Colombian descent, wins the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie. |
| 2002 |
| Calgary's Jarome Iginla becomes the first player of African descent to win the Art Ross Trophy, Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award. |
| 2003 |
| Jordin Tootoo joins the Nashville Predators and becomes the first native Inuit to play in the NHL. ... Grant Fuhr becomes the first black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. ... Gerald Coleman becomes the first NHL Diversity program graduate to be selected in the NHL Draft when Tampa Bay selects him with the 224th overall pick. |
| 2006 |
| San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo, the first member of the Moose Cree First Nation to play in the NHL, wins the Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy. |
