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Do you have a question about hockey? About skills? About the game? Meet our expert: Willie O’Ree! You can send Willie e-mail right here: nhlkids@nhl.com.
Posted on March 7, 2006 1. Dear Willie- Do you think that a player shoots better with stick wax or without. And if you do like to use stick wax, do you heat up the tape on your blade before putting the wax on? Thank you- Alexander M. Hi Alexander, The wax on your stick has nothing to do with the way you shoot the puck. The wax helps to preserve the life of the stick. If you use the wax make sure your stick is taped properly. Good Luck, Willie 2. Dear Willie- I am 14 from a small town of Viscount, Sask. I play bantam and wish to someday have a chance in the NHL but everybody keeps telling me I am to small. I like to compare myself to Martin St. Louis when they say I am short. I would like to ask your opinion of what I should do about the people who keep saying I am small and short. Thank you, Kayle Y. Hi Kayle, It should not matter what other people think about your size. What's important is how you fell. The NHL has players of all sizes. Feel good about yourself and set your goal for what you want to become. Good Luck, Willie 3. Dear Willie- I can only get good slapshots when I have space and the teams play it tight. How can I get a good slapshot when I'm in the crowd. Thank you, Brady, 12 Dear Brady, The best shots in hockey are the wrist and snap shots. Most goals are scored by these two, especially in tight situations. Slap shots take more time to get set up and are not that accurate. Good Luck, Willie 4. Dear Willie- I am a 10-year-old hockey player. I am doing a Black History project about you for school. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me that I could include in my report. What was your most favorite event in your hockey career? Thank you, Tommy M. Dear Tommy, My most favorite event in my hockey career is when I scored my first goal in the NHL on January 1, 1961 against the Montreal Canadiens, the willing goal. Good Luck on your project, Willie 5. Dear Willie- 1. What is your proudest accomplishment in life? 2. Who was the toughest goalie that you played against? 3. What was your most memorable goal? Thank you for answering my questions, Jake. Hi Jake, To answer your questions: 1) Proudest Moment: Playing in the National Hockey League 2) Toughest Goalie I played against: Jacques Plante - Montreal Canadiens 3) Most Memorable Goal: First goal in the NHL on January 1, 1961		About Willie O’Ree Fifty years ago, the National Hockey League was forever changed, when an unknown, 5'10", 180-pound left wing took the ice for the Boston Bruins. His name was Willie O'Ree. He was best known for his exceptional speed and his checking ability. Willie had an extraordinarily long professional career - 21 seasons, mostly in the old Western League with the Los Angeles Blades and the San Diego Gulls. Willie accomplished this incredible success despite losing his right eye in a junior hockey game when he was 21. Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on Canada's Atlantic coast, O'Ree was an outstanding athlete as a youngster, excelling at hockey, rugby, soccer, basketball, track and baseball. A shortstop, he was invited to training camp with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956. After O'Ree's professional hockey career ended in 1979, he became a supervisor for a company that handled security for the San Diego Chargers and later worked security at the spectacular Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego harbor. O'Ree began doing promotional work in 1990 for the International Hockey League's San Diego Gulls. Six years later, he was asked by the NHL to assist with an All-Star Game designed to celebrate hockey's growing diversity, appropriately named The Willie O'Ree All-Star Game. O'Ree is still involved in hockey as the Director of Youth for the NHL's Diversity program, a position he has held since 1998. As the NHL Diversity ambassador, he has helped expose more than 40,000 boys and girls of diverse backgrounds to unique hockey experiences. O'Ree has traveled thousands of miles across North America helping to establish 39 local grassroots hockey programs, all geared towards serving economically disadvantaged youth. While advocating strongly that "Hockey is for Everyone," O'Ree stresses the importance of essential life skills, education, and the core values of hockey, which are: commitment, perseverance, and teamwork. This season marks the 50th anniversary of O'Ree's achievement in breaking the NHL's color barrier. O'Ree and the National Hockey League plan to host numerous events and activities throughout the season to celebrate this ground-breaking achievement. O'Ree resides with his wife and daughter in San Diego, California. Click here to read more about Willie O'Ree.