Fred Sasakamoose
Fred Sasakamoose "Running Deer"[1] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Debden, Saskatchewan, Canada[2] | December 25, 1933||
Died |
November 24, 2020 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada | (aged 86)||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
Position | Centre | ||
Shot | Right | ||
Played for | Chicago Black Hawks | ||
Playing career | 1953–1960 |
Frederick Sasakamoose,
Early life
Sasakamoose was born in the
He is the great-great nephew of Chief Ahtahkakoop, who was brother to his great-grandfather Sasakamoose.
Hockey career
In 1944 Sasakamoose joined the Duck Lake
Ultimately Sasakamoose did meet the scout, and at the age of 16 joined the junior Moose Jaw Canucks, who played in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League.[9] After scoring 31 goals during the 1953–54 season he was named the league's most valuable player.[10] During the season he made his NHL debut with the Chicago Black Hawks, playing November 20, 1953 against the Boston Bruins. Sasakamoose played two games with Chicago before being sent back to junior, though he was called up again a few months later after Moose Jaw's season ended in February 1954.[13] Sasakamoose played 11 games for the Black Hawks that season, recording no points. The rest of his career was spent in various minor leagues.[13]
Post-hockey life
After retiring from ice hockey, Sasakamoose became a band councilor of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, serving for 35 years, and spent one term (6 years) as Chief.
Death
Sasakamoose was admitted to hospital in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, where he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on November 20, 2020. He died four days later due to complications from the virus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan.[19][20] He was buried at the Ahtahkakoop First Nation Cemetery in Ahtakhakoop, Saskatchewan.
He married Loretta Isbister in 1955, and had nine children.[14] At the time of his death, Sasakamoose's memoir, Call Me Indian, was being finished, and had a scheduled release date of April 6, 2021.[9]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Source:[21]
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1950–51 | Moose Jaw Canucks | WCJHL | 18 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1951–52 | Moose Jaw Canucks | WCJHL | 42 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1952–53 | Moose Jaw Canucks | WJHL | 36 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 40 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 4 | ||
1953–54 | Moose Jaw Canucks | WJHL | 34 | 31 | 26 | 57 | 56 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||
1953–54 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1954–55 | New Westminster Royals | WHL | 21 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1954–55 | Chicoutimi Sagueneens | QHL
|
22 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
1955–56 | Calgary Stampeders | WHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1956–57 | Kamloops Chiefs | OSHL | 23 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1957–58 | Kamloops Chiefs | OSHL | 51 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 63 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 34 | ||
1958–59 | Kamloops Chiefs | OSHL | 20 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1960–61 | North Battleford Beavers | SIHA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
References
- ^ "Fred Sasakamoose, the First Indian NHL Hockey Player". First Nations Drum Newspaper. Drum First Nations. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ a b "Fred Sasakamoose, one of first Indigenous players in NHL and former Moose Jaw Canuck, dies at age 86". November 24, 2020 – via Moose Jaw Today.
- ^ Smith, Stephen (June 25, 2020). "Recasting the History of Pro Hockey's Indigenous Players". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ "Fred Sasakamoose was native NHL pioneer". Edmonton Sun.
- ^ "Sorry Fred, but Henry came first - A few facts regarding aboriginal hockey players". sihrhockey.org. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ "Fred Sasakamoose | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Klinkenberg, Marty (December 23, 2016). "Fred Sasakamoose: Survivor, trailblazer, leader, hero". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "The Story Of Fred Sasakamoose, An Indigenous Hockey Pioneer". www.wbur.org. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c Klinkberg, Marty (November 24, 2020). "Fred Sasakamoose, the NHL's first Indigenous player and a residential school survivor, dies". Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Brissenden, Constance. "Fred Sasakamoose". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- ^ "Ex-NHLer describes rape at residential school". CBC.ca. February 3, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-660-01985-7.
- ^ a b c d Douglas, William (November 24, 2020). "Sasakamoose, Indigenous NHL pioneer, dies at 86". NHL.com. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Adam, Betty Ann (January 7, 2017). "Fred Sasakamoose blazed a trail for indigenous hockey players". Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: The StarPhoenix. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ "Inductee Directory". Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Indigenous athletes inducted into SK Sports Hall of Fame". www.eaglefeathernews.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Frederick "Fred" Sasakamoose". Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Order of Canada member Sasakamoose continues to push for opportunities for Indigenous youth". www.eaglefeathernews.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Peterson, Julia (November 24, 2020). "Indigenous NHL pioneer Fred Sasakamoose dead at 86". CBC.ca. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ Charlton, Jonathan (November 24, 2020). "Fred Sasakamoose, one of NHL's first Indigenous players, dies after COVID-19 diagnosis". CTV.ca. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ "Frank Sasakamoose". Hockey Reference. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database