A special celebration of Willie O'Ree, hockey's Jackie Robinson, unfolded in Boston on Wednesday, the eve of the 60th anniversary of the breaking of the NHL's color barrier.
O'Ree, the Bruins trailblazer, became the first black player to compete in an NHL game on Jan. 18, 1958, when he took the ice at the Montreal Forum. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared the day Willie O’Ree Day forevermore in the city and announced plans to refurbish a suburban street hockey rink in O'Ree's name.
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Commissioner Bettman presents Mr. O’Ree with the framed scoring sheet from his NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 18, 1958. pic.twitter.com/Z08ozjnpDh
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 17, 2018
The Willie O’Ree Community Rink at Smith Playground in Allston-Brighton will open this summer. #HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/n6iCpcTkcW
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 17, 2018
The Bruins also honored O'Ree with a ceremonial puck drop before Wednesday's game against the Canadiens and commemorative patches worn by both teams.
O'Ree played two games with the Bruins in 1958 before being sent to the minors. He rejoined the team during the 1960-61 season, scoring four goals and 14 points in 43 games, before being traded to the Canadiens. O'Ree never dressed for Montreal and spent the remainder of his professional career in the Western Hockey League until retiring in 1979.
The NHL often touts diversity and inclusion through its partnership with You Can Play and initiatives to grow the game of hockey in inner cities, but it still has much progress to make on both fronts. In 2018, only 47 active NHL players identify as non-white (4.5 percent), per league statistics.
Unlike Jackie Robinson, MLB's first black player, the NHL has yet to universally retire O'Ree's No. 22.
O'Ree's barrier-breaking debut is incredibly important to the game and deserves an annual celebration, but it's also a reminder there's still plenty of work to be done.
