Hockey Great to Speak in Duluth

Howie’s Blog

Native American hockey star Henry Boucha will be speaking in the Duluth Public Library Green Room at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Boucha will talk about growing up in Warroad, Minn., becoming an Olympic and NHL hockey player and how his Ojibwa roots helped him persevere to become a leader in raising awareness about Native American athletes today. The program, including a display of Olympic and NHL hockey memorabilia, is free and open to all ages.

Boucha played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies. His promising hockey career was tragically brief, cut short by an eye injury that forced him to hang up his skates at the age of 25. His impact on the game, however, continues to this day, thanks to his work with an NHL/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force Program and the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media.

Boucha is the author of “Henry Boucha, Ojibwa: Native American Olympian.”

While raising his family in Warroad, Boucha tried but was unable to find someone interested in developing a series about Native American Olympians. In 2011, he formed Boucha Films to share the stories — both tragedies and successes — of these sports figures to motivate Native youth and families.