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 injured player. O\'Ree was blind in his right eye due to being hit there by an errant puck two years earlier, which normally would have precluded him from playing in the NHL. However, O\'Ree managed to keep it secret, and made his NHL debut with the Bruins on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black player in league history. He played two games that year, with centreman Don McKenney and right wing Jerry Toppazzini as his linemates. O\'Ree came back in 1961 to play 43 games, and scored 4 goals and 10 assists in his NHL career, all in 1961.\n', '

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