In 1961, after two more years in the minors, O'Ree had a longer stay with the Bruins--41 games. O'Ree was the first Black man to play in the NHL. In 1958 a young man named Willie O'Ree made his debut in the National Hockey League. Little was made of this historic step at the time, but over the years, O’Ree found long-deserved recognition. When on a winter evening—January 18, 1958—he stepped onto the ice at the Montreal Forum wearing the uniform of the Boston Bruins, he became the first Black athlete to play in the National Hockey League. O'Ree had met Jackie Robinson in person twice when he was growing up. He knew the personal danger he faced. Willie O'Ree, the First Black Hockey Player to Play in the NHL The NHL (National Hockey League) was founded in 1917 and is currently made up of 24 teams in the United States and 7 teams in Canada. After O'Ree played in the NHL, there was not another black hockey player in the league until 1974 when the Washington Capitals signed Canadian player Mike Marson. The second black player to join the NHL was Mike Marson, and that did not take place until the 1974-75 season with the Washington Capitals. Now, even at the age of 85, he’s still not slowing down. His final NHL stat line is 45 games, 10 goals and 4 assists. O’Ree just released a new memoir, Willie: The Game Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player. O'Ree's NHL career, albeit brief, opened the door for other players of various races to dream about NHL careers. Early Years. by Mike Walsh. Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, is honored before a game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Tampa Bay Lightning in January 2017. In 1998, O’Ree became the NHL’s director of youth development and has been actively trying to positively change the game ever since. Willie O’Ree is the National Hockey League’s Director of Youth Development and ambassador for NHL Diversity, a post he has held since January 1998. Willie O’Ree broke the NHL’s colour barrier on Jan. 18, 1958, but that was far from the beginning of his story. The NHL created the Willie O’Ree All-Star Game in 1997 which pits coed teams against one another in conjunction with other NHL activities. When he started with the Boston Bruins in 1958, it was six years before U.S. civil rights legislation. He was with the Boston Bruins for two games. The Willie O'Ree Story. However, it wasn't until 1957 that the league accepted their first Black player, Wilie O'Ree. O'Ree never played another game in the NHL. O'Ree rejoined the Bruins in 1960-61 and played in 43 games that season. He played professional hockey for 21 seasons -- … The magnitude of Willie O'Ree's hockey career as a black player cannot be underestimated. Willie Eldon O'Ree was born on October 15, 1935, in the city of Fredericton.

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