Bernie Saunders facts for kids

Bernie Saunders (born June 21, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a right winger who played 10 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons.

Bernie Saunders was the fifth Black hockey player to play in the NHL. The players who came before him were Willie O'Ree, Mike Marson, Bill Riley, and Tony McKegney.

Growing Up and Early Hockey

Bernie Saunders was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. When he was a toddler, his family moved to the Toronto area. As a teenager, he moved back to Québec. He spent most of his high school years at H.S. Billings High School in Châteauguay, Quebec.

His family moved back to the Toronto area for his last year of high school. Bernie graduated from Ajax High School, in Ajax, Ontario. It was during this year, while playing junior hockey in Ontario, that Bernie first experienced racism on the ice.

College Hockey Journey

While living in Châteaguay, Bernie and his brother John played Jr B hockey. They played for the Châteauguay Wings. Their coach was Jacques Demers, who later coached in the WHA and NHL. When Bernie's family moved to Toronto, he played for the Pickering Panthers. He played for two years under coach Sherry Bassin. Many players from the Panthers went on to play for the Saint Louis Billikens.

Both Bernie and John Saunders played college hockey. They played for Western Michigan University in the 1970s. Neil Smith, who later became a general manager for the New York Rangers, also played with them. John finished his college career at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. He was an All-Star for the Rams.

Bernie had a great college career at Western Michigan University (WMU). He scored 76 goals and 78 assists, for a total of 154 points. He led WMU in goals three times. He was also named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice. He was the captain of the WMU hockey team in his final year. In 1994, he was added to the Western Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame. There is also a banner honoring him at Lawson Arena, WMU's home rink.

Playing Professional Hockey

After college, Bernie Saunders signed with the Quebec Nordiques. This was the Nordiques' first year in the NHL. In his first professional year, Bernie played for the Cincinnati Stingers in the Central Hockey League (CHL). He scored 13 goals and 11 assists in 29 games. The Stingers team stopped playing halfway through that season.

So, Bernie was moved to the Syracuse Firebirds in the American Hockey League (AHL). He finished his first professional year there. He scored 23 goals and 17 assists in the AHL. Overall, in his first year in the minor leagues, he had 36 goals and 28 assists in 67 games. Bernie played 4 games with the Nordiques at the end of that year. Then he returned to Syracuse for the AHL playoffs.

The next year, the Nordiques did not have their own minor league team. So, Bernie was loaned to the Montreal Canadiens' team, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. He scored 17 goals and 21 assists for the Voyageurs. He also played 6 games with the Nordiques that year, where he got one assist. After that, he was sent to the Nordiques' new minor league team, the Fredericton Express.

Bernie later signed with the Kalamazoo Wings in the IHL. He played a year there before retiring. He scored 38 goals and 37 assists, totaling 75 points, in 70 games.

Years later, Bernie Saunders wrote a book called Shut Out: The Game That Did Not Love Me Black. In his book, he shares his own experiences with racism in hockey, hoping to bring attention to these important issues.

Life After Hockey and Family

Bernie Saunders' brother was John Saunders, a well-known sportscaster for ESPN. After his hockey career, Bernie used his college degree. He worked for 17 years in the pharmaceutical industry with the Upjohn Company. Then he moved to other business roles in the same industry.

Bernie Saunders has three sons: Jonathan, Shawn, and Andrew. Jonathan played defense for the Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey team. Shawn played four years at UMass. Andrew chose a career in law enforcement while attending East Carolina University. Bernie Saunders is now retired. He lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Bernie Saunders' Hockey Stats

Regular season and playoffs

Awards and Achievements