BIOPIC Hockey Card Collection | CTV News

Dean Barnes likes to show off his hockey card collection.

“It’s the cards of 100 black and biracial players who played at least one NHL game in the early Willie O’Ree era from 1958 to the present,” said Barnes, who presented his cards to the Hockey Hall of fame. exhibit at the Memorial Cup in Saginaw, Michigan.

Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, Barnes had few role models in professional hockey.

“My connection is with Tony McKegney, who grew up in Sarnia and played for the Buffalo Sabres,” added Barnes.

GTA writer, speaker and podcaster believes he is the largest BIOPIC hockey card collection.

“It’s so special because diversity and inclusion is so important,” Barnes said. “Like many other sports, many people enjoy someone who looks like them. This collection is important for people to have the opportunity to look at stars like Jarome Iginla. Iginla once said he wanted to be in the NHL because he knew Tony McKegney was playing hockey.”

Dean Barnes holds an Isiah George card on May 31, 2024. George is a defenseman with the London Knights. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Barnes is often invited to take his collection throughout North America. This week, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) asked him to showcase it at its national championship.

“It’s about raising awareness and amplifying rich people in the history of black hockey,” Barnes pointed out. “There is a history of black hockey that a lot of people may not know about. Now I can share that with today’s generation and there are so many players who have played at least one NHL game.”

Barnes also has a podcast called “My Hockey Hero” and has interviewed 29 of the players he has in his book collection.

He even began to extend to CHL cards such as London Knights defenseman Isiah George.

At the start of the tour, Barnes was invited to speak to 3,000 school children about diversity and inclusion.

“I interviewed some of the fans at the game, one of the kids was from Detroit, a black kid,” Barnes said. “He talked about how much it meant to him to see this collection and how important it is for him to have someone to look up to.”