Val James

Valmore Curtis James (born February 14, 1957) is a retired American professional ice hockey left winger, as well as defenseman, who played 2 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs.\n', '

James was born in Ocala, Florida and raised in Hauppauge, on Long Island, New York. He was one of 6 children. It was on Long Island that James began skating and playing ice hockey in Commack where his father was employed as the manager of an ice rink. James was the first African-American to play in the NHL when he debuted with the Sabres. While James was the first African-American to play in the NHL, he wasn\'t the first to be exclusively trained in the country; that milestone did not occur until 1996, when Mike Grier made his NHL debut. James was the first native-born Floridian to play in the NHL.\n', '

James was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in t…