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After retiring, James settled in Niagara Falls, Ontario with his wife, working as part of the maintenance crew at a water park. His autobiography Black Ice: The Val James Story was released by ECW Press for worldwide distribution in February 2015, coinciding with Black History Month. In January 2017 ECW Press re-released the book in paperback format, again coinciding with Black History Month.

On the ice, James became revered for his fighting ability. Spirited bouts and victories over noted enforcers Terry O'Reilly and John Kordic were part of his record. One of the NHL's all-time top enforcers, Dave Brown, singled out James as one of the hardest punching players, and toughest opponents, he had ever fought. After only 14 professional NHL hockey games a shoulder injury forced Val James to retire from the sport in 1988. After retirement he taught hockey for 10 years before leaving sports altogether.

His next NHL stint came in the 1986–87 NHL season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing four games. As an African-American, James often faced situations at all levels of his career where he was the victim of incidents of racial prejudice by opposing fans, and, sometimes, opposing players.

In 1983, while playing in the American Hockey League (AHL), under the direction of rookie coach Mike Keenan, James scored the winning goal for the Rochester Americans in the Calder Cup.

James was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 16th Round, 184th overall in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft after playing 2 seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the Quebec Remparts, although he never played in any regulation games for the Red Wings. He also played several seasons, in the late 1970s, for the Erie Blades, in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). James's propensity for using hip checks garnered notoriety in the Erie County Field House, home of the Blades. He signed with the Buffalo Sabres on July 22, 1981. James made his NHL debut for the Sabres during the 1981–82 NHL season, playing seven games. James became the first black American to play in the NHL when he debuted with the Sabres. He was not the first black American to be exclusively trained in the country; that milestone did not occur until 1996, when Mike Grier made his NHL debut. James was the first native-born Floridian to play in the NHL.

Val Edwin James (born February 14, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger, as well as defenseman, who played two seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. James was the first black American to play in the NHL.