William Douglas has been blogging The Color of Hockey since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Desmond Garrett, a 7-year-old boy from suburban Indianapolis whose hockey exploits and fashion sense have made him a social media sensation.
Desmond Garrett was delighted to receive a fancy coat for Christmas that would help him keep up with some of the well-dressed men in the NHL.
“He wanted to make sure everyone could see his suit, so he bought a nice coat,” Desmond’s father, Adam Garrett, said with a smile. “So between fashion and hockey, I don’t have any money.”
Many people are watching and in awe of 7-year-old Garrett from suburban Indianapolis, Indiana, whose hockey skills, exploits and splendor in game-day attire have made him a hit on social media.
Desmond is in the NHL’s “The Next Golden Era is Now” commercial that is currently airing. He was one of 15 people selected for the NHL Fan Skills Class of 2021 based on his hockey prowess.
At age 6, he made The Athletic’s NHL-style power rankings in November 2021, earning stick touches for insisting on arriving on court in a suit and tie.
“I asked him why he does that and he said, ‘You never know who’s watching you,'” Adam Garrett said.
In addition to helping his son look as good as he plays, Adam Garrett makes sure Desmond is steeped in black hockey history. He has met a number of black players, coaches and staff members by attending ECHL games in Indianapolis and on road trips to see other professional or junior leagues.
Peruse Demond’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook posts (managed by dad) and you’ll see pictures of him with Jason Payne and Joel Martincoaches for the Cincinnati and Kalamazoo of the ECHL; Rod Braceful, scout for the Chicago Blackhawks; Rodwin Dionicio, defenseman for Ontario Hockey League Niagara and Team Switzerland at the 2023 IIHF World Youth Championship; Y howard smithCo-Founder of Pittsburgh ICE and 2020-21 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Finalist.
“My goal is to introduce him to as many people who look like him as possible in the game,” Garrett Sr. said, “and help him develop some allies and friendships and people that he can see himself in, whether it’s in the future , is he a coach or a role model or a player.
“I think it’s important for him to see himself because, you know, it’s not a very diverse sport right now, but we’re trying to change that.”
Desmond said he wants to become a professional hockey player one day “because it’s fun and you get paid.”
He’s been hooked on hockey ever since his parents bought him a pair of inline skates to roll around in the basement. He was put on skates when he was about 2 years old and taken to the Indy Fuel ECHL home games, where he could skate with the players after the contests on Sundays.
“I tell people he had the opposite reaction to most kids,” his father said. “After two hours he started crying because they made him come off the ice, not because he was falling or anything.”
These days, Desmond plays for the Indy Jr. Fuel in the winter and a Chicago-based roller hockey team in the summer. When he’s not at the rink, he’s skating on synthetic ice in the family garage, working out in the basement, or taking hockey trips.
Desmond wanted to do a stick and puck session with Smith, who he and his father follow on social media. So they hopped in the family car after Desmond competed in a track meet over Memorial Day weekend, driving nearly 360 miles and six hours to join Smith in a 90-minute time on a suburban track in Pittsburgh.
Smith said he was impressed by Desmond’s gesture and skill.
“He’s not just a little mite player who, you know, is learning to play or learning to skate,” she said. “I was doing exercises with him and they were a bit complex. But the way he dominated them was like, ‘Wow.’
“I saw other kids that were on the ice, older kids, and I had them come over and I said, ‘Okay, let’s try this. Let’s try that’. And even some of those kids were like, ‘Who is he?’ And then when I told them who he was, they were like, ‘Wow.'”
Afterward, Desmond and his father returned to Indiana but made a pit stop in Columbus, Ohio, so Desmond could play at an indoor hockey facility there, his father said.
“It’s an inspiration because it’s the next generation of kids getting involved in hockey, kids of color,” Smith said. “It’s having a positive impact on a lot of kids who look like Desmond and can say, ‘Hey, if Desmond can do it, so can I.'”
Photos: Courtesy Adam Garrett
Source: news.google.com