Clarence "Taffy" Abel was born on May 28, 1900, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan USA as a Sault Chippewa Indian - Ojibwe. He along with his mother and sister are listed as Chippewa per US Government 1908 Durant Census Rolls. More here. He received the nickname "Taffy" because he would sneak taffy into school.

Following his high school years, he played amateur hockey for 8 years. Taffy joined the United States National Hockey Team for the first Winter Olympics in 1924.

There he became the first Native American to participate in the Winter Olympics. He was recognized by his fellow athletes for his patriotism and leadership, helping him become captain of his team and the first person to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics by carrying the American flag during the opening ceremonies.

He is recognized as the only Native American Olympic Flag Bearer in either the Summer Olympics or the Winter Olympics.

Taffy and the U.S. National Hockey Team led a successful tournament run that landed them a Silver Medal at the conclusion of the 1924 Winter Olympics. However, that very easily should have been a Gold Medal and the real first ‘Miracle on Ice’. It wasn’t a Gold Medal because the USA Hockey organizers failed to select the best American Hockey Players.

Following his time with amateur USA Hockey in the 1924 Winter Olympics, Taffy went on to lead a successful professional career. After playing for the St. Paul Hockey Club for three seasons in the USAHA, he moved to the Minneapolis Millers where he helped win the CHL title in 1926.

Following that title victory, Taffy was recruited by the controversial Conn Smythe to play with the NHL New York Rangers starting with his NHL debut on November 16, 1926. That’s the day Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier which Gary Bettman refuses to accept because he says the Black Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958.

From 1929 to 1935 Taffy played with the NHL Chicago Blackhawks. In the NHL he became the first Indigenous or Native American athlete to become a regular NHL player in a sport that had up until then been overwhelmingly played by white Canadian NHL players.

In other words, the 188 players in the NHL from 1917 to 1926, who actually played in 1 or more verifiable NHL games, were white and of Euro-Canadian decent. Prior to Taffy Abel in 1926 there were NO non-white players - NO black players - NO indigenous players - NO BIPOC players in the NHL. The 6 white NHL Team Owners and the NHL Commissioner led a whites only discriminatory hockey empire.

During his nine-year NHL career, Taffy went on to win two Stanley Cups and is thought of by many Hockey Historians as one the best ever defenseman in the NHL.

At the conclusion of his career, he played a total of 16 seasons of amateur and professional hockey, received an Olympic silver medal, won two Stanley Cups, played a total of 333 games in the NHL and was inducted in the US Hockey Hall of Fame, American Indian Hall of Fame and more.

Following his retirement, he returned to his native Michigan and coached ice hockey for the Soo Indians of the Northern Michigan Hockey League (or NMHL) and opened up a tourist hotel and super club called Taffy’s Lodge which he managed for several years.

He passed away in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, at the age of 64. He was posthumously inducted into the United States Hall of Fame as a Player in 1973. He was the uncle of George Jones.

Taffy Abel and Lester Patrick remained lifelong friends. The below December 1947 photo is from the Lester Patrick Celebration at Madison Square Gardens.

Members of the New York Rangers hockey team gathered in 1947 to honor Lester Patrick, who was their first manager, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. From left to right: Bun Cook, Ching Johnson, Bill Cook, Lester Patrick, Taffy Abel and Frank Boucher.

In 1960 Taffy Abel attended the funeral of his good friend, Lester Patrick. Taffy passed away in 1964.