Clarence John "Taffy" Abel was born on May 28, 1900, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan USA as a Sault Chippewa Indian - Ojibwe.

At age 64, he died on August 1, 1964 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

The N.H.L. Commissioner, Gary Bettman. Bettman maliciously denies that Taffy Abel broke the N.H.L. Color Barrier in 1926 and was the N.H.L.’s first Indigenous Hockey Player.

Taffy, 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 the spiritual Captain (C) 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 still 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 and train 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 N.H.L. New York Rangers starting with his N.H.L. debut on November 16, 1926.

In that first game, which the Rangers won, Taffy and the Rangers were up against the reigning Stanley Cup Team, the Montreal Marrons and Dunc Munro.

Munro was the Captain of the 1924 Olympic Canadian Team that had beat Taffy. In 1926, Taffy overcame that 1924 adversity and beat Munro and the Canadian Players 1 to 0.

November 16th 1926 is the day Taffy Abel broke the N.H.L. Color Barrier which the N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman and N.H.L. Team Owners refuse to accept because they wrongly say that the Black Willie O’Ree broke the N.H.L. Color Barrier in 1958.

From 1929 to 1935 Taffy played with the N.H.L. Chicago Blackhawks.

In the N.H.L. he became the first Indigenous or Native American athlete to become a regular N.H.L. player in a sport that had up until then been played by white Canadian N.H.L. players.

In other words, the 188 players in the N.H.L. from 1917 to 1926, who played in 1 or more verifiable N.H.L. games, were white and of European and 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 N.H.L.

As is similar now in 2025, the white N.H.L. Team Owners and the white N.H.L. Commissioner in the Taffy Abel era ruled over a whites only discriminatory hockey empire.

During his nine-year N.H.L. 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 N.H.L.

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 N.H.L. 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.

Taffy Abel is 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 Canadian funeral of his good friend, Lester Patrick.

Taffy Abel, The Unseen Warrior, passed away in 1964.