Black Ice is a 2022 Canadian documentary film, directed by Hubert Davis and produced by Vinay Virmani.[2] Based in part on Darril Fosty and George Fosty's 2004 non-fiction book Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925, the film presents a history of the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes of the early 20th century, and the lingering history of anti-black racism in the sport of ice hockey.[3]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 26 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Black Ice offers an enlightening -- and possibly enraging -- overview of institutional racism in professional hockey."[8]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[9]
Michael Talbot-Haynes of Film Threat gave the film a score of 10 out of 10 and wrote, "Easily one of the most surprising and profound sports documentaries ever made, Black Ice, directed by Hubert Davis, features earth-shaking discoveries about black Canadians in the history of hockey."[10]
Peyton Robinson of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "Through multi-generational testimony from Black hockey players, we learn about the racism endured by athletes from teammates, coaches, leagues, and fans alike who believe they don't belong in the sport. There's no timidity in the doc's testimonies. The film affords its subjects the same blunt expression that has been weaponized against them, and the result is unfiltered emotional depth that translates poignantly."[11]
