It’s about time!

Brett Peterson just became the first Black assistant general manager in the National Hockey League (NHL), reports AP News.

Before being hired by The Florida Panthers, Peterson was a former player agent who previously served as vice president of hockey for Wasserman Media Group. He also worked as an NHLPA certified agent for over a decade and played five pro seasons in the minors, ultimately winning a national title upon trading in his skates for a business suit.

According to Because of Them We Can (BOTWC), Peterson is a Massachusetts native who attended Boston College and also works as a consultant for a nonprofit that focuses on providing hockey and mentoring programs for underserved youth and communities.

His new role will also include participating in the Panthers foundation to help offer more community initiatives to help create inclusivity in South Florida.

Recently, the NHL launched several initiatives aimed at increasing minority participation and inclusion on the coaching staff as well as the front offices.

“I’m just happy that now there can be a second and a third,” said Peterson. “It’s going to be exciting times because I think other people will realize that things are possible and they should be. There’s never really been a hard stop, but there hasn’t been this type of opportunity yet, so I’m happy that we can hopefully create some more.”

Congratulations on breaking such a huge barrier, Brett!

Brett Peterson

Sign up for our daily Newsletter.