MONTREAL - As part of the National Hockey League's Hockey Is for Everyone program, the Montreal Canadiens will be celebrating Black History Month and the contribution of Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first professional Black player. Ahead of Wednesday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canadiens players will wear black jerseys on the ice for warmups to pay tribute to Willie O'Ree, but also to reiterate the club's commitment to provide all players and fans an inclusive and welcoming environment, free from any form of racism or discrimination. For the occasion, the Canadian national anthem will be performed by singer, actress and host of Haitian origin Mélissa Bédard.
The Montreal Canadiens celebrate Black History Month
"We all have a role to play in promoting diversity and inclusion, and we are privileged to be able to drive positive change in our sport, both on and off the ice. We are pleased to recognize Willie O'Ree's contribution to the advancement of Black hockey players and encourage our fans to discover his story," said Canadiens executive vice president and chief commercial officer France Margaret Bélanger, who also sits on the NHL's Executive Inclusion Council (EIC).
On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree became the very first Black player to appear in an NHL game when he debuted for the Boston Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Forum. His inspiring journey was the subject of the 2019 documentary "Willie", directed by Quebec producer-director Laurence Mathieu-Léger. The Canadiens are inviting their fans and the public to discover the resilience and determination of Willie O'Ree by viewing this award-winning documentary, a tale of battling adversity that goes beyond the hockey rink. The NHL, Classroom Champions and the Willie Doc Team have also teamed up to develop educational guides that can serve as a tool for parents, teachers, coaches, and community organizations wanting to initiate these important conversations and learn more about social justice and racism. Both the documentary and resources for educators are available for free on
lessonsfromwillie.com
.
The Canadiens' actions promoting diversity and inclusion are reflected, among other initiatives, in the donations and programs implemented by the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation. Since 2009, the Foundation has been working to make hockey and many other sports more accessible and more diverse within its BLEU BLANC BOUGE communities through its rinks, donations of equipment, and introductory ball hockey and ice-skating programs that benefit many children, mostly from immigrant families. The six BLEU BLANC BOUGE rinks located on the Island of Montreal were built in areas where immigrants and visible minorities represent more than 40% of the population.
"Since its creation, the Foundation has also offered its financial support to numerous organizations that work with young people from Black communities, such as the Centre communautaire Bon Courage de Place Benoit, the Centre haïtien d'animation et d'intervention sociales (CHAIS) and the Trevor Williams Kids Foundation," added Geneviève Paquette, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation and vice president of community engagement for the Montreal Canadiens. "By our action, we hope to offer youth from these communities with the same advantages as other children their age while ensuring that their path toward a healthy and active lifestyle is without added obstacles."
In order to offer young people from local Black communities more opportunities to learn to play hockey, the Montreal Canadiens will be starting a brand-new collaboration with Hockey 4 Youth, an organization that facilitates social inclusion for youth from racialized groups in high-needs neighborhoods through hockey and programs revolving around education, the arts and healthy lifestyles. The black jerseys that the players will wear during the pregame warmups on February 10 will be up for auction until February 13, and the funds raised will be invested in the implementation of a pilot project in Montreal North, which will run from fall 2021 to winter 2022. People wanting to get their hands on these special edition Black History Night warmup jerseys can bid now by visiting
auction.blackjerseys.ca
.
Fans wishing to show their support in the fight against social and racial injustices can also purchase items from the Silence collection on the
Tricolore Sports online store
. All proceeds from the sale of this t-shirt and this mask will be donated to Un itinéraire pour tous, an organization whose mission is to help support the local population of Montreal North by giving them the tools to improve their quality of life, social development, and fight poverty.
