Sixty years ago, O'Ree dressed for the Boston Bruins and skated onto the ice at the Montreal Forum, becoming the first-ever black player to compete in an NHL game - despite being legally blind in one eye. Following the game, he said, "It was the greatest thrill of my life, I believe. I will always remember this day."
O'Ree played two games with the Bruins before being sent to the minors. He joined the team again during the 1960-61 season, scoring four goals and 14 points in 43 games. O'Ree then was traded to the Canadiens, but he never dressed for the Club. He spent 13 seasons in the Western Hockey League before officially retiring in 1979.
"Willie's speed, his skill and his sheer perseverance earned him a job in a six-team National Hockey League - where jobs were, indeed scarce - 60 years ago," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We celebrate not only the NHL games he played but the countless thousands of boys and girls he has inspired since becoming our Hockey Is For Everyone ambassador in 1998."
To commemorate O'Ree's 60th anniversary, the NHL and Bruins are donating to Boston Parks and Recreation a refurbished street hockey rink that will be dedicated 'Willie O'Ree Rink.' It will officially open to the community this summer.
"Willie has worked tirelessly as a Diversity Ambassador for the NHL, creating a prominent legacy that extends well beyond the ice," said Charlie Jacobs, CEO, Boston Bruins. "It is my hope that this rink will serve as a way to promote Willie's mission of introducing boys and girls of diverse backgrounds to the game of hockey."
Since 1998, O'Ree has worked for the NHL as a Diversity Ambassador, focusing on the League's Hockey Is For Everyone initiatives. To further commemorate the 60th anniversary celebrations, the NHL and Bruins will work with Artists for Humanity, a non-profit that aims to bridge economic, racial, and social divisions by employing under-resourced youth for art and design projects. Artists for Humanity will design and create a mural that depicts O'Ree's historic moment 60 years ago, as well as the values represented by Hockey Is For Everyone - perseverance, dedication, and teamwork. The mural will be unveiled at TD Garden on Jan. 17, and will be hung at the Bruins arena. Two replicas of the mural will be donated to the community - one to Ulin Memorial Rink, the home arena of S.C.O.R.E. Boston, a local Hockey Is For Everyone organization. The second replica mural will be donated Devine Memorial Rink in Dorchester, inspiring future generations of youth hockey players.
