Grant Fuhr was once referred to by hockey great Wayne Gretzky as the best goalie to ever play in the National Hockey League. Fuhr achieved a series of firsts as a player and after his career ended, he embraced his role model status.
Fuhr was born September 28, 1962 in Spruce Grove, Alberta in Canada. The biracial Fuhr was adopted by Robert Fuhr and Betty Wheeler and raised primarily in the Albert province. His playing career began in 1979 at the age of 17, playing for the junior Western Hockey League’s Victoria Cougars. After a strong two years, Fuhr was drafted in the summer of 1981 by the Edmonton Oilers, becoming the first Black goalie in the NHL’s history.
In 10 seasons with Edmonton, Fuhr won four Stanley Cup championship trophies with the squad. He is the first Black player on a Stanley Cup winning team. Fuhr played in five NHL All-Star games and is a winner of the Vezina Trophy, given to the league’s top goaltender. He even came close to winning the NHL’s MVP trophy, eclipsing his teammate and hockey legend Gretzky in voting at the end of the 87-88 season. (READ MORE)
