Drake's DreamCrew to executive produce Black hockey player doc with LeBron James
Drake is teaming up with LeBron James and other creators for a feature documentary on the history of Black hockey players.
The Toronto rapper's production company says in a release he will executive produce "Black Ice," an examination of the "often overlooked and marginalized contributions" of Black players to the game.
The story will begin with the creation of the Coloured Hockey League (CHL) in the Maritimes and extend into the experiences of Black players in the modern-day National Hockey League.
"Black Ice" will be directed by Hubert Davis who was nominated for an Oscar for his2005 short "Hardwood" and made the documentary "Giants of Africa," aboutToronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri's youth basketball camps in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda.
Alongside the project's fellow executive producer Adele (Future) Nur,Drake runs DreamCrew Entertainment, which produced HBO's "Euphoria" and the American version of "Top Boy" on Netflix.
The Springhill Company, co-founded by James and Maverick Carter, and Uninterrupted Canada, an extension of Drake's "athlete empowerment" brand Uninterrupted, will also be involved in the film.
For decades, the history of Black hockey players went largely undiscussed in the sports mainstream, though some effort has been made to address that in recent years.
The 2016 documentary "Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future" detailed the story behind the CHL, while George and Darril Fosty's 2004 book "Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritime" laid some of the histories to page.
Recent memoirs from players Willie O'Ree and Val James have filled in other gaps.
Drake has long been a hockey fan, having played on the Weston Red Wings minor hockey team in his childhood before starring in "Degrassi: the Next Generation" and becoming one of the world's most popular music performers.
"Black Ice" is currently in production and will be released in theatres by Elevation Pictures before heading to TSN, the Crave streaming service and other CTV outlets.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.