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Willie O’Ree made it to hockey’s hall of fame despite having black skin and only one eye
The descendent of African-American slaves became NHL’s first Black player
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was a big fan of my hometown’s minor league hockey team — the San Diego Gulls. And my favorite player was Willie O’Ree, who years earlier in 1961 became the first Black man to play in the National Hockey League (the major league) for the Boston Bruins.
Willie O’Ree was every San Diegan boy’s favorite Gull. In addition to having a cool and memorable name, he was always the fastest skater on the ice and one of the team’s best players. From 1967 to 1974, he scored 153 goals with 161 assists for San Diego. He was a player who was easy to cheer for and love, because of his skill, positive demeanor, and his humility.
Recently, I had the pleasure of watching a documentary film titled “Willie” on NBC’s new streaming network Peacock. While the film wasn’t flawless, it did give me great joy at being able to revisit a boyhood idol who is now 85 years old. I learned much that I didn’t know about this remarkable Canadian (born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where his ancestors moved to after escaping slavery in the American South) and his exceptional life.
