Tuesday night before they dropped the puck for real there was a ceremonial puck drop. It was done by Mr. O'Ree. A classy and charismatic man who started his hockey career in 1950 but waited until the 1957-58 season to get a call to the National Hockey League. He played two games for the Boston Bruins. He would play a total of 45 games in the NHL. His totals would be four goals, 10 assists for 14 points. He would also add 26 penalty minutes to his stats line. Numbers will never ever be the way the Fredericton, New Brunswick born winger will be celebrated or remembered. Just ask Edmonton Oilers Darnell Nurse.
"Without him a lot of us wouldn't be here in the league today," expressed the 23-year-old. "He's a pioneer. He broke the barrier which was huge for all of us."
Monday night there were two black players on the ice. Joining Nurse was San Jose's Evander Kane. Missing from the game was the Sharks' injured forward Joel Ward who has gone on record as saying O'Ree was someone who inspired him for his courage and passion. You can put the Oilers defenceman on the same list as Ward.
"He was such a big influence for all black hockey players," said Nurse. "And he's a cool guy."
What Mr. O'Ree went through wasn't cool at all. Fans would yell 'Go back to the South' and 'How come you're not picking cotton?' Those are at least a couple of the things we can print.
"My older brother told me to let it go in one ear and out the other which wasn't always easy to do," explained O'Ree. "I had to do a lot of fighting not because I wanted to but because I had to. But I always kept it on the ice."
In 2013 is when Edmonton chose Darnell Nurse seventh overall in the NHL Entry Draft held in New Jersey. It was the first time Nurse met O'Ree.
"I remember him from that draft," explained the NHL's Director of Youth Development and league ambassador for diversity. "He's a nice kid."
It was the first time the Oilers player had ever talked to O'Ree. However It wasn't the first time Nurse had ever talked about O'Ree.
"I was in grade six or seven back in elementary school," explained Nurse. "And I did a speech on him. I basically listed off his bio and what he had accomplished."
I asked what mark he received and Nurse answered, "well it must have been pretty good because I made it the school final with that speech."
He didn't win but thanks to Willie Eldon O'Ree there are more victories today for black people . Whether it's in the game or in the world, he's a man who paved the way for the battle against racism and truly proving 'Hockey is for Everyone'.
