Willie O'Ree

Willie Eldon O\'Ree, CM ONB (born October 15, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League. O\'Ree played as a winger for the Boston Bruins. O\'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" due to breaking the black colour barrier in the sport,[NB 1] and has stated publicly that he had met Jackie Robinson twice in his own younger years. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2018. \n', '

Also in 2018, the NHL instituted the annual Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award in his honour, to “recognize the individual who has worked to make a positive impact on his or her community, culture or society to make people better through hockey.”\n', '

Midway through his second minor-league season with the Quebec Aces, O\'Ree was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an in…