Willie O'Ree (born October 15, 1935, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) was the first black athlete to play professional ice hockey in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Midway through his second minor league season with the Quebec Aces hockey team, Willie was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an injured player. Even though he was 95% blind in his right eye, Willie made his NHL debut with Boston on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black player in the league's history. He played 45 games over the course of his two NHL seasons. He scored four goals and had 10 assists in his NHL career.
In the minor leagues, O'Ree was an all-star. In the Western Hockey League between 1961 and 1974, O'Ree scored thirty or more goals four times, with a high of 38 in both 1964-65 and 1968-69. He continued to play in the minors until age 43.
In 1984, Willie O'Ree was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame. Today he works as a community liasion for the National Hockey League.
See also
External link
- Internet Hockey Database - Willie O'Ree's career statistics http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=8354
Last updated: 02-09-2005 21:33:48
