On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree made history when he became the first black man to play in the NHL. He played a total of 45 games with the Boston Bruins, a remarkable feat considering the hardships that he had to overcome to achieve this.

Throughout his career, Willie often had to deal with racism, intolerance and insults. In addition, he was blind in one eye and had to keep it a secret or risk never playing in the NHL! However, , thanks to his character, his perseverance and his love of the game, his time with the Bruins was just the beginning of his accomplishments in the world of hockey…

For the past twenty years, Willie O'Ree has been the Director of Youth Development for the NHL's Diversity Program. In 2018, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. To this day, he continues to inspire young hockey players on and off the ice!