"Ice Hockey in Harlem's mission is to improve the social and academic well being of children from the Harlem Community."

Getting to Know Malik Garvin, Executive Director of Ice Hockey in Harlem

From learning to skate in Fisher Price snap-on skates at age three to playing NCAA collegiate hockey, 

get to know the Executive Director of Ice Hockey in Harlem and his hockey journey.

by George Tsao

November 1, 2023

Growing up a huge Rangers fan in New York City, Malik Garvin dreamed of making it to the NHL. Having grown up with the Ice Hockey in Harlem program from the age of four, Malik returned to be its Executive Director where he strives to make the dreams of the next generation of Harlem hockey players a reality.

Prior to leading Ice Hockey In Harlem, Malik played NCAA Division III Western New England University Men’s Varsity Ice Hockey with stints in prep school hockey at Hebron Academy and the Harvey School. After earning his Bachelors of Science in Finance and Accounting, Malik worked in the private sector in business as well as for a non-profit organization specializing in sports-based youth development.

During the season starting in November and ending in March, Malik organizes weekly practices and games for over 150 Harlem kids with the help of over fifty volunteers. Ice Hockey in Harlem fields five teams ranging from 8U to 18U. With ice time at a premium, the teams skate in rinks all over New York City. In the off-season, Malik organizes IHIH summer hockey camp and works to fundraise as well as to do strategic planning with Co-Founder Todd Levy and the Ice Hockey in Harlem Board. We thank Malik for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat.

Congratulations on being Executive Director of Ice Hockey in Harlem! How does it feel to come full circle having gone through the program yourself?

MALIK: It's been awesome. Empowering. I mean, the proof is in the pudding. My goal has always been to provide hockey opportunities to the Harlem community that I had, or even better opportunities. I’m a huge hockey fan. I’m a huge Rangers fan. Hockey is truly my passion and I love playing more than anything. I feel like there is no one better than me for this job. So to be able to give back to this program that serves a great purpose is empowering.

I want to get out there on the ice and run every practice for every team, be on the bench for every game, but I’m completely happy organizing it all. Making sure everything runs smoothly and to see the smiles on the kids faces on Saturday... Last couple of seasons, everyone has to wear a mask, but they arrive on time at the rink. They had to get dressed outside. There’s no access to locker rooms, but there wasn’t one complaint. Everybody had a good time. The players and parents are very grateful.

How is this season going?

MALIK: Great! This season kicks off this week. Our home rink Lasker Rink (renamed Harlem Meer Center) is closed for renovations, but we are able to get ice for our players every week at Wollman Rink, World Ice Arena or City Ice Pavilion. Wollman is in Central Park, so we meet the players and coaches there. But we provide transportation to anything outside Manhattan. We load up two buses for World Ice Arena which is in Flushing Meadows (Queens) or City Ice Pavilion in Long Island City.

I recently hired our new Program Coordinator Bernardo Vieira who now handles organizing for our fifty volunteer coaches. Bernardo played ACHA D1 Club Hockey at University of Pittsburgh and our other coaches’ experiences range from high school to NCAA Division I. We place about 60 of our kids into our Learn to Skate Program and then they continue on into our Learn to Play Program.

It’s fun to see new kids who have never played or even skated before sign up. When I was three years old, I used to follow my older brother Roger to the rink. I was totally fascinated by skating and I tried these Fisher Price snap-on skates that attached to the heel and toe of your shoe. The next year, there were these twin brothers, James and Joseph, who were also four years old and followed their older brother around. He played hockey. We started playing together and that was the start of our Learn to Skate Program.

Regrettably, racism happens in hockey. Could you share any of your experiences?

MALIK: I was eight years old the first time someone called me the N-word. It was in a handshake line.

There was also a summer hockey camp when I was in high school and the goalie made monkey sounds at me. I guess he didn't he didn't like me hanging around the crease, um.

Also, in high school we're crushing a team and then a kid next to me says “What are you gonna do? Pull a knife out?”

It’s hockey. There’s no place in the game for racist comments like that.

What advice would you give to minority individuals who experience racism?

MALIK: First of all, report it. To the referee. Your coaches. Your parents. And don’t be scared to talk about it. You’re not alone. There is more support than ever out there. And put the puck in the back of the net! That’s the best way to get back at them! Any coach would tell you that.

My friend and fellow IHIH alum Lydell Harrigan, who has been in the NYPD for over 20 years and now works at Police Headquarters for the Police Commissioner, said “I can't go out and fight everybody because that's what they want me to do! They don't want me in the game and by me doing that and fighting them, they're winning. Yeah, I may knock them out. But they won it, because they just got me off the ice.”

What life lesson(s) has hockey taught you?

MALIK: Hockey taught me hard work, goal setting, perseverance and how to overcome adversity. And probably most importantly, teamwork and collaboration. I’ve known Todd Levy (Co-founder), Lydell and JJ Velez (Board Chair) since I was a kid because of hockey and we’re friends into adulthood.

Hockey taught me how to work for something bigger than yourself. It gave me a sense of identity. It gave me something to strive towards. I always wanted to be a hockey player. Of course, at one point I wanted to be in the NHL but all along the way... in the moment, I just wanted to be a hockey player. So in elementary school, I wanted to be a hockey player. In middle school, I wanted to be a hockey player. In high school, I wanted to be a hockey player.

Playing hockey is a privilege, so to be a hockey player you need to stay out of trouble. You need to get good grades. You need to work hard on and off the ice. You have to be able to be a good teammate. Get along with people... and these people you might not necessarily like. But most of the time they're going to be your best friends. [Hockey] really gave me an identity, a sense of something to strive towards, who I wanted to be and what I wanted to be. Obviously, playing hockey is so great because the qualities that you learn from playing hockey carry over into other aspects of life.

What hobbies do you have when you’re not at the rink?

MALIK: I watch hockey on TV. I read books on hockey. I read hockey news. I love sports, so I love reading sports books and books on business. I play and watch ball hockey, I also play roller hockey. And I spend time with my girlfriend who is a hockey player. She played in NCAA women’s college hockey and now she plays ball hockey. After our hockey camp this summer, I watched her play in the National Championships in Buffalo. It was fun.

I also play lacrosse when I can. I was the first Program Director for Bronx Lacrosse. Lacrosse is a lot like hockey because you have to do well in school. So, for Bronx Lacrosse I made sure the kids kept up with their homework and tests.

Now for the hockey question of the summer: Barbenheimer. The movies Barbie and Oppenheimer opened on the same weekend this past summer. Trevor Zegras’ response went viral. Which did you see first?

MALIK: Me? I didn’t watch either. Guess I have to catch up on my movie watching.

Well, neither movie is about hockey or sports. So your answer makes sense and probably speaks for a lot of hockey folks.

Thank you for your courage in sharing how you handled racism in your hockey journey. Your story and advice will help any minority kid out on the ice who thinks he or she is alone.