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Calgary Herald

Brent Dodginghorse, Willie O'Ree award winner, on importance of diversity and respect in sports

Brent Dodginghorse was in the midst of a workout Monday evening when his phone started to buzz. Article content The NHL had just announced that the 47-year-old Dodginghorse, a proud member of Tsuut'ina Nation, had been honoured as winner of the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award for Canada. Article content The news dropped during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Article content 'I was at Gold's Gym, just working out, doing my normal routine, and my phone blew up with messages,' said Dodginghorse, who had received a heads-up from the NHL but was asked to keep it a secret. 'It was like, 'Oh, that must have been it.' Article content Article content 'I had like 72 messages within about five minutes, and all the socials were blowing up. It was pretty cool. Obviously, there was a lot of emotion.' Article content Article content The Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award, named for the man who broke the NHL's colour barrier in 1958, is presented to an individual who 'through the sport of hockey, has positively impacted their community, culture or society.' Article content Many local hockey fans will remember Dodginghorse from his stint as a hard-working forward with the Calgary Hitmen. When the team won the WHL championship in 1999, he was among their leading playoff scorers. Article content He's now making a mark as a leader in diversity education and awareness, sharing his personal encounters with racism or discrimination. As co-founder of DH Ranch, Dodginghorse runs an educational program that aims to promote respect, understanding and a greater appreciation for fellow hockey players regardless of their race, ethnicity or skill level. He has addressed thousands of athletes, both in minor sports and in the pros. Article content Article content On Tuesday, Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson chatted with Dodginghorse about the significance of his award win and his ongoing work to ensure everybody feels welcome and respected at the rink. Article content Article content Congratulations on being honoured as the Canadian winner of the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award. In Monday's announcement, O'Ree had this to say about you — 'Dodginghorse draws from his own experiences to teach others about compassion and understanding. It takes a strong spirit to share personal stories with strangers, but he does it to help make his community stronger. The domino effect of his work is commendable.' How does it feel to hear that, and what does it mean to be associated with O'Ree? Article content 'It means a lot because that man has done a lot for hockey and a lot for diversity and teaching and awareness. His story inspired me to keep doing what I'm doing. And it shows that he's a man coming from experience and a true leader, because he's 100 per cent correct that it takes a lot of courage to step up and talk about your diversity story, and to spin it with an educational component and allyship is very important. And to have that reconciliation aspect of it is so important because sports and hockey bring everyone together and it's such a good platform for people to talk about the uncomfortable situations that happen. I've always had this motto, that together everybody can achieve more, and I truly believe that hockey and sports is a platform that helps coaches, players, parents and people of all colours to come together and learn valuable lessons.'