Hockey Trailblazer Blake Bolden Visits Westminster

On April 29 and 30, former professional ice hockey player Blake Bolden spoke to the entire school community, as well as smaller groups of student leaders and student-athletes, about her journey from an unlikely youth hockey player to playing professionally and becoming an NHL scout, a national sports reporter, and a leader in mentorship.

The theme of Bolden’s all-school presentation in Werner Centennial Center was “Becoming Bold,” offering a personal narrative of her development as a hockey player and how her parents, coaches, and confident mindset helped her navigate the challenging moments and turning points when Bolden felt like an outsider or an underachiever. Bolden has been called “the Jackie Robinson of women’s ice hockey” and is the first Black player drafted in the first round of the CWHL, the first-ever Black player to compete in the NWHL, and the first Black woman to serve as an NHL scout.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bolden shared that she “didn’t come from a traditional hockey background. The sport was gifted to me by the only father figure I ever knew.” After getting her first set of ice hockey skates from Play It Again Sports, five-year-old Bolden learned to skate, honed her hockey skills, and within three years was on a premier boys’ hockey team in the Midwest. “I’ve been around the sport for 30 years,” said Bolden, “and I’m only 35 years old!”

Connecting her story to her personal slogan, Bolden said, “The reason why I talk about ‘becoming bold’ is because when I went to all these hockey camps as a seven-or eight-year-old, I was the only girl on a team, or the only player of color on a team, and I just felt uncomfortable. But I learned to put myself in these uncomfortable situations and to trust myself.” The feeling of being an outsider—such as being the only girl on a team, or the only Black player in her entire high school for four years—is one Bolden learned to overcome again and again by leaning into her strengths, hockey skills, and confidence.

Not achieving her goal of becoming a member of the 2014 Olympic women’s hockey team was a devastating blow for Bolden. “My dream just got ripped out from under me. I sulked on the couch for about four months,” said Bolden. When she ended up being drafted by the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), Bolden stated, “When your dreams don’t happen, I implore you to just move and get up off that couch.”

During her professional playing career, Blake found a renewed sense of purpose when she encountered a young fan. “I saw this young girl who looked like I did when I was six years old,” recounted Bolden. “She said to me, ‘Blake, you’re the reason why I want to play hockey.’” Bolden realized she was playing hockey not just for herself, or to make a certain team, or achieve a specific accolade, but to be a role model for young people she didn’t even know.

Bolden spoke of her time with the Los Angeles Kings organization and her unexpected path into sports reporting, and shared with students that even today, her professional plans for just a few months from now are not fully formed. “When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s like being on a roller coaster,” said Bolden. “I try to lean into what feels scary and I’ve had to believe in myself when it’s really hard. I know you can do it too. I’m excited to see where all of you are going to go.”