Grant Fuhr, pictured above, is black according to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“It’s a great honor, as both a player and a white guy, to be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame,” said Fuhr. “And it’s especially cool to be the first black guy ever selected.”

Fuhr was one of the NHL’s most dominant goalies in the 1980s, helping the Edmonton Oilers to five titles between 1984 and 1990. He also played for Toronto, Buffalo, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Calgary before retiring in 1999. The 1988 Vezina Trophy winner was selected along with Pat LaFontaine in the player category.

Fuhr, long rumored to be black, was still surprised when it was announced that he would be the first black member of the hockey hall when inducted in November. “I always thought I was Italian or maybe Greek, never black – but that’s pretty cool. I’ll take it,” he said. “Oh yeah – I’ll also thought I was maybe Middle Eastern or something like that for a while, too. And once this guy I knew said I looked Spanish.”

Many members of the Hall of Fame in addition to Fuhr’s former teammates were surprised to hear of his status as the first black inductee.

“Yeah – I read in an article last Thursday that Grant was our first black member and called the paper to tell them that they made an error, but apparently it’s true,” said Ross Smythson, director of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“That’s crazy. Grant is black?” said Mark Messier of the New York Rangers and a former teammate of Fuhr’s on the Oilers. “It’s good that not a lot of people back in the ‘80s knew that. He would have taken a lot of crap from opponents back then. Black players weren’t all that welcome in the old days. Hey – I wonder if I’m black?”

Fuhr said his newfound status has made him very interested to learn more about his heritage. “I can’t wait to teach my son about his history,” said Fuhr. “Although he could probably teach me a thing or two – he’s a huge rap fan. Wait until he hears that he’s black. He’s going to be so excited.”