Duclair and Imama hold youth development camps in South Florida and Montreal during the summer, with plans to bring those kids outdoors for a couple of workouts at the high school.
Boyd Anderson High School Principal James F. Griffin II said bringing an outdoor rink to his school in suburban Fort Lauderdale is “breathtaking,” and that the new facility will help grow the game in his working-class community.
Boyd Anderson High School is located in a large Haitian community, with 98 percent of its students considered minorities.
“I’m from Montreal, Canada, and I have a Haitian background,” Duclair said. “Playing hockey, you don’t see too many people of my skin color playing this game. I went through a lot of hardships and learned a lot of things from a young age, and it made me the man I am today. So, I am here to share those experience with these kids, these students, and make sure that whatever they want to do in life, make sure no one can tell them they can’t do it.”
Griffin said not only would the Boyd Anderson High School students have the opportunity to learn hockey on the new ice surface, but students at neighboring Oriole Elementary and Lauderdale Lakes Middle schools will too.
“Just saying ‘ice hockey’ in Florida is something that is amazing,” Griffin said. “So, to see this come to fruition, to see kids actually be outside on ice skates, is just phenomenal. You saw the kids and how they’re enjoying this. Once you bring the opportunity to them, they take it. We have made the impossible, possible, here today.”
The Duclair Foundation joined with the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund to construct the 100-by-50-foot rink, which is made of Glice North America synthetic ice panels.
The Industry Growth Fund funded the rink’s construction, and the NHLPA Goals & Dreams Fund donated $50,000 to purchase sticks, pads, helmets, goal cages and skates for use on the rink.
“We’re excited this is the first one, and we’re excited to do it with Anthony,” said Rob Knesaurek, NHL senior vice president, community development and industry growth. “We’re just excited to see these kids have this wonderful journey and we are here to support them along the way.”
The Panthers also have pledged to continue working with Duclair, as have the San Jose Sharks, with whom Duclair spent much of last season.
Duclair and Imama were joined at the new rink by representatives from the NHL and NHL Players’ Association, as well as Broward County school board members, and the Lauderdale Lakes city government.
“We wanted to target a neighborhood with people who looked like me, people of Haitian descent, which is very important to me,” Duclair said. “I wanted to put this in a neighborhood where people didn’t really follow hockey, or even watch hockey. This is now a pathway, an opportunity to introduce the game and hopefully the kids here run away with it. Or they learn something from it, get inspired by it. Anything they can take away from this hockey rink is the goal here.
“I was a Haitian kid just like these students we saw here today, and I was one of them not too long ago. Whatever they go through in life, I think through perseverance, leadership and hard work, you can accomplish anything. … This project is close to my heart. I am thankful to everyone who helped make it happen.”
