Hockey defenseman Marshall Warren proudly delayed turning pro when he became the first Black player at Boston College to be named captain on the hockey team at the NCAA Division I school.
In April 2019, he became the first Black player in the college’s 100-year hockey history.
Warren, 21, was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round (No. 166) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
In an interview with National Hockey League staff writer William Douglas, Warren says becoming a team captain has always been a goal of his at BU.
“Being named captain meant the world to me, especially at a place like Boston College. It’s always been a goal of mine to be a leader and to be a captain at Boston College. When the opportunity arrived, it was so hard to pass up,” Warren said in his interview.
Many believe the four-year college experience will benefit the 21-year-old before he heads to the NHL.
“‘The draft is one thing, but it’s what you do after the draft,'” Warren recalled during his interview of what Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin told him.
Warren was among 17 players from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program
Under-18 team who were selected in the 2019 draft.He added during his interview, that he doesn’t feel pressured to rush becoming pro as he now prepares for his senior season at Boston College.
Warren will now carry over this historic accomplishment into his next life’s journey in the NHL.
According to College Hockey Inc., college players who appeared in at least one NHL game last season, 136 of the 349 played at least three years of college, while 100 played all four years.
Across 31 NHL franchises, there are 713 total players on active rosters at any given time. In a report by WDET in Detroit, there were only 43 players of color.