The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Fred Sasakamoose did not spend a long time in the National Hockey League. However, he was there long enough to make history. By suiting up for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1950s, Sasakamoose established himself as a pioneer in the game. Despite playing only 11 games, he made his mark by becoming the first player of First Nations descent to play in the league. With no goals, no assists and six penalty minutes in those games, his presence Ð not points Ð were of primary importance. As such, he broke the barrier for generations of aboriginal players to come, including George Armstrong, Reggie Leach, Bryan Trottier, Jonathan Cheechoo and Jordin Tootoo. Reluctant to leave home, Sasakamoose almost missed out on his chance to make history. Born on December 25, 1933, Sasakamoose grew up on the Ahtahkakoop First Nation northwest of Prince Albert. Long before Chicago Stadium, there was the local slough. With bobskates tied to his moccasins, he hit the ice with the assistance of his grandfather. Like other First Nations children at the time, Sasakamoose's childhood came to a premature end. Leaving his family behind when he was about seven years old, he was taken to St. Michael's Residential School in Duck Lake. With visits not allowed, Sasakamoose was separated from his family. He was also stripped of his culture and his language. Through the heartache, hard work and hardships, there was one saving grace Ð hockey. Escaping momentarily from the everyday realities of his life, Sasakamoose received his early hockey education at St. Michaels's. In the late 1940s he was a member of the midget team that defeated a Regina squad to win the provincial championship. After nearly a decade at the residential school, a much-anticipated return home was short-lived. Despite a reluctance to leave his family again, he was ultimately convinced to join the Moose Jaw Canucks of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League. He spent the next four years in Moose Jaw. Over that span Sasakamoose combined for 75 goals and 147 points, including 31 goals and 57 points during the 1953-54 season. Following that season, the sting of another playoff disappointment was eased by his promotion to the big leagues. He was summoned from Moose Jaw to meet the Chicago Blackhawks on the road in Toronto. "It was a shock when I went to that dressing room," Sasakamoose said in an interview with Calvin Daniels in his book, Guts and Go, Great Saskatchewan Hockey Stories. "I sat down and looked around and saw players like Bill Mosienko and Max BentleyÉNow that was something I'll never forget." For 11 games Sasakamoose skated among the elite players in the six-team league. In addition to the level of play, he started to enjoy the excesses that came with being a professional hockey player. Taking his newfound position for granted, he soon found himself out of the game. Sasakamoose did not make it back to the NHL. Still, he continued to enjoy success in the minors, playing with the New Westminster Royals and the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Hockey League, as well as the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Hockey League. He finished up his career with the Kamloops Chiefs of the Okanagan Senior Hockey League, scoring 26 goals during the 1957-58 season. Following his career Sasakamoose became involved in First Nations politics. He also helped build opportunities for First Nations youth in sports and recreation. Still, he found time to keep connected to the game of hockey. Much like he was in the 1950s, Sasakamoose continues to serve as a role model for aspiring aboriginal hockey players. This is a recent installment of Back to the Past, a weekly Saskatchewan history column by Paul Spasoff. You can catch his column every week in our sister newspaper, The Northern Visions Gazette.
