NHL Network marks Juneteenth with special

To celebrate Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the official end of slavery in the United States in 1865, NHL Network will air "NHL Tonight: A Conversation" hosted by NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes at 6 p.m. ET on Friday.

The new one-hour special edition will feature a discussion on the issues around racial injustice and inequality in society and hockey with a lineup of distinguished guests including:

• Ryan Reaves, Vegas Golden Knights forward

• Mike Claiborne, longtime St. Louis sports broadcaster

• William Douglas, NHL.com staff writer, who is the founder of The Color of Hockey blog

• Kwame Damon Mason, Director of the "Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future" documentary

• Kim Davis, NHL Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs

Following "NHL Tonight: A Conversation," the documentary "Willie" will air for the first time ever on NHL Network at 8 p.m. ET. "Willie" chronicles the life and career of Hockey Hall of Famer Willie O'Ree, who was the first black player in the NHL. O'Ree broke the color barrier in the NHL when he played for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 18, 1958.