Willie O'Ree

Willie O'Ree
CM ONB
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2018 (Builder)
O'Ree in 2019
Born (1935-10-15) October 15, 1935 (age 88)
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Winger
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Playing career 1958–1979

William Eldon O'Ree CM ONB (born October 15, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player from Fredericton, New Brunswick. He is widely recognized for being the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing as a winger for the Boston Bruins. His accomplishment of breaking the black color barrier in the NHL has led him to sometimes being referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey," whom he had the chance to meet when he was younger. In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and starting that year the NHL has introduced the annual Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award in his honor.