Women In...
A podcast that celebrates women in all walks of life and careers and the people in their lives who are lifting them up. You will hear from women AND men about what they are passionate about, what motivates them, how they spend their day-to-day lives, and how and why they lift women up. This is a space to be disruptive, forward-thinking, and change agents for humankind. It is uncensored, fun, and curiosity-driven.
Women In...
Women In... Episode 62: Bernie Saunders - Shutout: The Game That Didn't Love Me Black
Saunders played four seasons at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo from 1975-79, recording 154 points in 140 games. He then went on to become only the fifth Black hockey player to play in National Hockey League history following Willie O'Ree, Mike Marson, Bill Riley and Tony McKegney.
Saunders led Western Michigan in goals three times, earned All-CCHA Second Team honors in 1977-78 and was twice recognized as the team's MVP. He captained WMU his Senior year and was inducted into the Western Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Saunders played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons, along with 181 games in the American Hockey League (Syracuse Firebirds and Nova Scotia Voyageurs) and with the Kalamazoo Wings in the International Hockey League.
The Kalamazoo legend played parts of three seasons with the K-Wings. Saunders joined the K-Wings for three games after graduating from WMU in 1978-79 before the team’s ascent to the Turner Cup and then returned to the team in 1981-82. During that season, Saunders joined Brent Jarrett on the same line, en route to Jarrett’s IHL Most Valuable Player season with the two combining for 197 points.
Following his playing career, Saunders spent over 30 years in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industries beginning with the Upjohn Company before moving on to other Executive Commercial positions within the industry. Saunders also became a Diversity Equity & Inclusion advocate and voice for the mistreatment of Black hockey players in the NHL and the media, writing about his own experiences in a 2021 autobiography, Shut Out: The Game That Did Not Love Me Black.
Saunders has three sons, two of which played hockey and also faced racism in the sport as well which was one of the catalysts for writing the book. Bernie is the brother of the late ESPN Sportscaster, John Saunders, and is currently retired and living in Greenville, South Carolina.
