The National Hockey League honored former Boston Bruins player Willie O’Ree by retiring his No. 22 jersey on Tuesday, NHL reports.
The commemorative moment took place before the Bruins were set to play against the Carolina Hurricanes. O'Ree attended virtually from San Diego due to COVID-19.
O’Ree is the 12th player to have his jersey honored in the Bruins' franchise history. He was also the first Black NHL player, CNN reports.
That fedora is ???? #NHLBruins | #Willie22
pic.twitter.com/U2zIXcyieH— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 18, 2022
The 86-year-old took to the ice 64 years ago in his first game with the Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens. He would go on to play in 45 games with the team.
According to CNN, the Bruins noted that O'Ree hit 450 goals and assists in over 1,100 professional games played. He played professional hockey for 21 years.
After taking a series of jobs, O'Ree returned to the NHL
O’Ree was traded to two different teams over the course of his career following his stint with the Bruins. He retired as a member of the Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League, according to SportsNet.
After taking a series of odd jobs, O’Ree still had an interest in returning to the game of hockey.
“My goal that I had set in the back of my mind was to get back into the National Hockey League in some capacity where I could give back, not only to the sport, but to the community, '' he said during an interview with SportsNet.
"A door would open and close; open and close. But I felt strongly I was going to get back into hockey,” he said.
In the late 1990s, O’Ree received an opportunity to rejoin the league as an ambassador for diversity, NPR reports. The NHL had hired Bryant McBride as part of the league's diversity program and, unable to track O’Ree down, McBride enlisted the help of agents from the FBI to obtain his number.
“[McBride] knew a couple FBI agents in the San Diego area, and he called them and explained what he wanted. Within a few hours, the FBI gentleman called back and said, 'Mr. O’Ree is working [security at the Hotel del Coronado],'” O’Ree recalled.
O’Ree’s impact earned him two ice rinks named in his honor. One rink is located in Boston, while the other is in his hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick.
In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"I just want to be remembered not only as the first Black player to play in the NHL, but just an individual that wanted to be involved with boys and girls and help them set goals for themselves," he said regarding his legacy, according to ESPN.
