The remarkable secret of Willie O&#;Ree
Almost all of the black players to ever wear an official NHL sweater have sought him out.
Mike Marson, only the second black player in NHL history, joined the Washington Capitals in , a long 16 years after the colour barrier had been trampled. He wanted to talk to Mr. O’Ree.
Bill Riley, the NHL’s third black player, wanted to meet him as well.
So too did Herb Carnegie, a black Torontonian who believed racism kept him out of the game’s ultimate league in his prime, the s and ’50s. Herbie and his brother Ossie and Manny MacIntyre formed hockey’s first all-black line as the starting forwards for the Quebec Provincial Hockey League’s St. Francois. Mr. O’Ree still chats from time to time with the Carnegie brothers.
Journeyman Tony McKegney, who played 13 seasons for seven NHL clubs after entering the league in , wanted to speak to Mr. O’Ree. Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla, Wayne Simmonds&#; Mr. O’Ree, now 76 years old, is happy to talk to them all.
But what is there to say to the first black man to skate on National Hockey League ice, on Jan. 18, ? To the man who didn’t just smash through the game’s colour barrier but continues to stomp all ov
| The NHL hired O’Ree as the Director of Youth Development for its diversity task force in (Getty Images) |
While Willie O'Ree's NHL career consisted of just 45 games over two seasons, it is the historical impact of his NHL career that has led him to Honoured Member status in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Born on October 15, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Willie O'Ree was a prolific junior scorer with the Kitchener Canucks of the Ontario Hockey Association in The following next season O'Ree joined the Quebec Aces, a senior team affiliated with the NHL's Boston Bruins. Willie tallied 22 times, helping the Aces win the Edinburgh Trophy, awarded to the winners of a series between the senior champions of the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Hockey League.
| O’Ree’s NHL playing career lasted just 45 games, but his impact is much larger. (James McCarthy/Hockey Hall of Fame) |
“When I went to Quebec (Frontenacs of the Quebec Junior Hockey League) the first year (), Phil Watson was the coach. He said, ‘Willie, you know there are no black players in the NHL. You could be the first. You have the skills, you have the ability.’ When I went to Kitchener (in ),
Willie O'Ree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie O'ReeCM ONB | |||
|---|---|---|---|
O'Ree in | |||
| Born | () October 15, (age 89) Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in ( cm) | ||
| Weight | lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | – | ||
William Eldon O'ReeCM ONB (born October 15, ) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player from Fredericton, New Brunswick. He is widely recognized for being the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing as a winger for the Boston Bruins. His accomplishment of breaking the colour barrier in the NHL has led him to sometimes be referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey," whom he had the chance to meet when he was younger. In , O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and starting that year the NHL has introduced the annual Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award in his honor.
Early life and career
William Eldon O'Ree was born on October 15, , in Fredericton, New Brunswick, to Harry, a civil engineer and road maintenance worker, and Rosebud O'Ree. He was the youngest of nine siblings. His grandparents were escapees of slavery in the United S
O&#;Ree, Willie –
Retired professional hockey player
At a Glance&#x;
The Right Climate for a Skater
NHL Debut
A Lengthy Stay in the Minors
Blacks in Hockey
Sources
Canadian native Willie O&#x;Ree was the first black man ever to skate for a team in the National Hockey League (NHL). O&#x;Ree made his debut in typical modest fashion for the Boston Bruins on January 18, , and played right wing for the team through 45 games between and In a sport dominated by white athletes then and now, O&#x;Ree never received much media coverage; he thought less about his race than about perfecting his ability. Being the first black didn&#x;t even enter into my mind, O&#x;Ree told the OrlandoNews and Sun-Sentinel.The NHL was the league and I knew it would only pick the best players. That&#x;s what I tried to be.
According to Rocky Mountain News correspondent Marty York, O&#x;Ree faced an uphill battle from his first moments in the NHL until his premature consignment to the minor leagues in Suffice it to say that, while O&#x;Ree desperately tried to establish himself as an NHLer in the s and s, he was a victim of blatant racism, of the sort of human degradati
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