Willie O'Ree: The Story of the First Black Player in the NHL

Willie O'Ree made NHL history on January 18, 1958, when he became the first Black player to take to the ice. There was a round of applause when O'Ree stepped onto the ice, and newspapers ran the story. The color barrier in the NHL had been broken, yet it would be sixteen years before the next Black player, Mike Marson, was drafted. Four decades later, the NHL made O'Ree an ambassador for the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone" program to encourage kids from all backgrounds to play hockey.

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