Justin Wade hopes he's just the start in terms of the Chicago area producing successful minority hockey players.

Wade, who is from Aurora, Illinois, is one of the area's most high-profile minority players. He played for the Chicago Mission and a couple teams in the United States Hockey League and also represented the United States at various levels. Now, he and sophomore teammate Ali Thomas are the first African-Americans to play hockey for Notre Dame.

Chicago area native Justin Wade, above, and Ali Thomas are the first black hockey players at Notre Dame. Cal Sport Media/AP Images

"What I always wanted to do with youth hockey was get a scholarship and make it to a big-time school," Wade said. "That's exactly what I did. If other minorities would get into hockey, they would create more opportunities in school and be more successful in life."

Wade first got into hockey at an early age in Cleveland because one of his father's co-workers was the father of NHL player Michael Rupp. That piqued Wade's interest, and he began playing the game.

"At a young age, just trying to find a sport, I liked hockey," Wade said. "I liked the intensity. I liked the fast-paced game."

Hockey didn't run in Wade's family, but his parents were supportive. His father, David Wade, even went to the length of assembling a team comprised of primarily minority players when his son was 12. The team included Anthony Duclair (a New York Rangers forward), Cristoval Nieves (Rangers prospect), Gemel Smith (Dallas Stars prospect) and a number of other players who are still playing in college, the USHL and the Canadian Hockey League. Ryan Hartman, the Blackhawks' 2013 first-round draft pick, was one of the few white players on the team.

"It was so significant," Wade said. "That really opened my eyes to how many good black players were out there. It showcased a black team, and people could see a lot of talent. They pulled players away to other teams. A lot of kids are having success now. It was a significant thing for me growing up, as well as the younger generation looking up."

Wade discovered early in his career that not everyone is accepting of minority players. The first time he heard the N-word directed at him he wasn't exactly sure what happened. He was 7 years and had just put a crushing hit on an opponent during a game. Then someone yelled the N-word at him. Wade glanced to see where the remark came from and continued playing.

"Some parent said it," Wade recalled.

Being so young, Wade didn't exactly grasp the significance of what had happened. He told his father about the incident after the game, and Wade's education of racism in hockey began.

David Wade anticipated his son would face such obstacles when Justin got into hockey at an early age. David and his wife, Courtney, made sure they never wavered in their support of Justin's hockey pursuit.