Boston Bruins retiring Willie O’Ree’s number: NHL’s first Black player to be honored on Feb. 18
Updated Jan 12, 2021;
Posted Jan 12, 2021
MONTREAL - JANUARY 25: Willie O'Ree attends the NHL All Star Game at Bell Centre on January 25, 2009 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images for NHL)
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Willie O’Ree, the first Black player to appear in an NHL game will have his Boston Bruins No. 22 retired next month.
O’Ree, who broke the sport’s color barrier in 1958, will be honored before Boston’s Feb. 18 game against the New Jersey Devils.
O’Ree is being honored for his contributions to the sports during and after his career. He played just 45 games in his NHL career. He had 14 goals in 43 games during the 1960-61 season. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in 2018 in the “Builder” category.