Centre Fred Saskamoose became the NHL's first native Canadian player when he suited up for 11 games with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1953-54. He was a fine goal scorer in junior and went on to enjoy a decent minor league career.
Born on the Sandy Lake Reserve, Saskatchewan, Saskamoose accumulated 74 goals in four seasons with the WCJHL's Moose Jaw Canucks. After his 11-game stint with the Hawks he played in the Western and Quebec leagues before moving on to BC's Okanagan senior loop. The hard working pivot scored 26 goals for the Kamloops Chiefs in 1957-58 then sat out a year before coming back for one more season in 1959-60.
