The ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones have hired Jason Payne, making him the first Black head coach in North American professional hockey.
After Cyclones head coach Matt Thomas left, Payne (45) was promoted to assistant coach. Payne was born in Toronto and had a 14-year professional career as a player. He made it to the AHL.
Payne stated that "there weren’t many Black coaches when I was coming up" but that "when there were, you noticed." Payne hopes that his hiring will inspire others.
Payne stated that younger players should see familiar faces and say, "Yeah, maybe we can be the guy behind a bench, maybe we can be someone in hockey operations or maybe we can be video coaches." Payne spoke to ESPN. "The more opportunities you see, the more you can see them," Payne said to ESPN.
Payne has a long-term goal to be a coach in the NHL. Dirk Graham was the NHL's first Black head coach. However, he was fired by Chicago Blackhawks in his first season. Since then, there has not been another Black head coach for the NHL.
"Gary Bettman, the NHL, do a fantastic job trying to open up the doors with diversity. Many teams are doing the exact same. Payne stated that this was not a trend years ago. They're trying to change our narrative. We can only do what we can now: keep going and push for the doors to open. These are my goals. I do my best and work as hard as possible. Trust the process. Although it's not always easy, you must trust the process. It's a monumental moment in my life. But it will have an impact on the hockey world.
Payne was invited to speak at the global clinic of the NHL Coaches Association in May. He is a member the NHL Coaches Association's BIPOC Program that supports minority coaches. Payne stated that speaking engagements opened up new opportunities and he interviewed several ECHL or AHL clubs this offseason.
In 2018, Thomas brought Payne to Cincinnati with him. The Cyclones finished the 2018 season with a record of 89-30-12-4, and twice qualified for the postseason. Thomas was named the 2019 ECHL Coaches of the Year.
Kristin Ropp is the Cyclones' general manager. She is the only woman in the ECHL and AHL to serve as the Cyclones.
Ropp stated to ESPN that he didn't want Jason to be noticed for wrong reasons. He deserves it. "But it's almost sad that we are in 2021 and he is the only Black head coach of pro hockey at the moment. It is a source of concern. It is a shame."
Ropp stated that she was present at an NHL diversity meeting and inclusion in Florida prior to the pandemic.
Ropp stated, "It was incredible, because I love that the NHL is extremely transparent." They're saying, "We need to improve on this. We are really white and cannot be. This is not the case for the majority of people, so it doesn't make sense.
Payne stated that his coaching style is focused on understanding his players and their personalities. Payne will take over as head coach of the Cyclones, his first job. He will also continue to work with the Cincinnati Cyclones Foundation which helps grow hockey in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Payne stated that although I wasn't naturally a goal scorer, he said that he worked hard, was physically fit, and took every opportunity he could. "I am aware of how hard I worked to play professional hockey for 14 years. Now, I want to try and make it to the NHL. I made it to the AHL. However, I would not have given up so much to play if I could not coach as hard, if any, as I did in the AHL.
