Ceremony to Retire Willie O'Ree's No. 22 on January 18 to Begin at 7 P.M.
O'Ree is the 12th player in Bruins history to have his sweater honored
Prior to the ceremony, players will take the ice for warm-ups in special-edition jerseys with commemorative Willie O'Ree patches. The ice will feature newly-installed No. 22 decals behind each team's net, which will remain on display for three home games: tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, January 20 against the Washington Capitals and January 22 against the Winnipeg Jets.
The official ceremony will begin at 7 p.m., starting with a special video celebrating O'Ree with voices from around the NHL and the hockey community. Following the video, O'Ree will deliver his keynote remarks virtually from his family's home in San Diego. To conclude the ceremony, Bruins alumni Anson Carter and SCORE Boston representatives Dallas Jackson, Toryn Jackson, Austin Nelson and Donald Craft will raise O'Ree's jersey into the rafters of TD Garden.
Puck drop for the game will be at 7:20 p.m.
O'Ree is the 12th player to have his sweater honored by the Boston Bruins in franchise history, joining Lionel Hitchman (#3, 1934), Aubrey V. Clapper (#5, 1947), Edward W. Shore (#2, 1949), Milton C. Schmidt (#15, 1957), Robert G. Orr (#4, 1979), John P. Bucyk (#9, 1980), Philip A. Esposito (#7, 1987), Raymond J. Bourque (#77, 2001), Terence J. O'Reilly (#24, 2002), Cameron M. Neely (#8, 2004) and Richard D. Middleton (#16, 2018).
O'Ree became the first Black player to compete in an NHL game when he dressed with the Bruins 64 years prior to the date of his jersey retirement on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite being legally blind in one eye, O'Ree went on to play one more game that season and 43 during the 1960-61 season before being traded to the Canadiens. O'Ree ended his NHL career with four goals and 10 assists.
In honor of O'Ree, landmarks around Boston will light up gold tonight to show support. Participating landmarks include City Hall, the Prudential Center, TD Garden, Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, the Ducklings at Boston Public Garden, Zakim Bridge, Rose Kennedy Greenway, One International Place, Hyatt Cambridge, Longfellow Bridge and Boston Harbor Hotel.
In recognition of this historic event, Michelle Wu, Mayor of the City of Boston, has proclaimed January 18, 2022, as Willie O'Ree Day in the City of Boston.
The NHL's Black Hockey History Mobile Museum will be parked on Canal Street pregame to help celebrate the founders, trail blazers, and Stanley Cup Champions in Black Hockey History.
Additionally, commemorative Willie O'Ree posters, courtesy of TD Bank, will be available to the first 10,000 fans at the TD Garden turnstiles ahead of the retirement ceremony.
The ProShop powered by '47, will be commemorating Willie O'Ree with limited-edition, exclusive No. 22 merchandise including banner t-shirts, replica banners, pins, hats and more. Net proceeds from Willie O'Ree merchandise purchased during the month of January will benefit the Boston Bruins Foundation and SCORE Boston. Merchandise can be purchased online at BostonProShop.com or in-person at the store in the Hub on Causeway.
The Boston Bruins Foundation will host a 50/50 Raffle, presented by DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports, with proceeds benefitting SCORE Boston. The raffle will run until tonight's game.
In addition to the raffle, the Boston Bruins Foundation will also host an auction for the special-edition, player-signed warm-up jerseys. The auction will begin tonight at 7 p.m. and will run until January 25, with proceeds benefitting the Bruins Foundation.
More information on the Boston Bruins Foundation 50/50 Raffle and Auction can be found at BostonBruins.com/5050 and BruinsAuctions.org.
Individual tickets to attend the ceremony and Bruins-Hurricanes game are still available to purchase at
https://www.ticketmaster.com/boston-bruins-vs-carolina-hurricanes-boston-massachusetts-01-18-2022/event/01005AF5C1F0442D?brand=BostonBruins
Both the retirement ceremony and game will air regionally on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub. For more information about this special event, please visit BostonBruins.com/Willie.
