In-Depth
NHL diversity pioneer sees league ‘working in the right direction’
Willie O’Ree, who will join the Hockey Hall of Fame next month, is helping lead the effort to make the game more affordable and accessible to youth.
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In 1958, Willie O’Ree skated onto the ice at the Montreal Forum wearing a Boston Bruins sweater for a game versus the Canadiens. It was in that moment that he broke the color barrier in the NHL, making it the last of the big four North American leagues to integrate.
While O’Ree played only 44 more games in the NHL, his legacy as a pioneer has long been cemented, serving as an inspiration to many of the players of color who are currently in the league, such as Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds.
O’Ree also has continued to play a role in helping diversify the sport, joining the NHL in 1996 to help on youth development and serving as its diversity ambassador since 1998. In that time he has traveled to local rinks, schools and community centers across North America to spread the message that anyone can play hockey.
More than 60 years after his groundbreaking moment, O’Ree will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November in the Builders category. O’Ree, who will turn 83 later this month, spoke with Sports Business Journal from his home in San Diego about diversity in hockey, and what more can be done.
On the state of diversity in hockey: In 1958, I was the only black player at the time to make it to the NHL. I didn’t even know I broke the color barrier until I read it in a newspaper the next morning. There were only six teams in the league at that time, but it still took over 14 years for another black player to play in the NHL, Mike Marson in 1974. (O’Ree’s last season in the league was in 1960-61.) I knew there were other black players who had the skill to play in the league, but we were faced with racism, prejudice, bigotry and ignorance. But now we are working in the right direction. The players who are in the league today, they’re in because they have the skills to be there and an ability to play the sport, not because of the color of their skin. There are now just under 30 black players playing in the league, and all of them are great role models for all young boys and girls.
On diversifying and growing the sport: I’ve been able to travel around and talk at schools, boys’ and girls’ clubs, juvenile facilities, and other places with kids about getting into hockey, and helping to run clinics where we are able to get kids on the ice. The reality is that hockey is a new sport for many children. You can go into a gym with a basketball, toss a baseball around or take a football and play anywhere. But in order to play hockey, you really need to be on the ice to develop your skills. And the thing about many of these boys and girls, is that hockey is a very expensive sport for their families. If you go into any sports shop to get the equipment you need, it can be well over $1,000. One of the most important things we can do is make it more affordable for kids to play. The message we send is that if you want to play, all you have to do is show up; we’ll provide the equipment, the time on the ice and coaching. I believe that once someone is on the ice and they start to learn to skate and get a stick in their hands, 90 percent of the work is done in making them a fan of hockey. It’s a fun sport.
On the importance of the declaration of principles effort led by the NHL, which aims to deliver life lessons through hockey: At the clinics we do, we talk a lot about hockey skills, but also, we talk a lot about life skills — about how there is no substitute for hard work, about how you’ll get out what you put into something, and how these boys and girls can do anything they set their mind to. My message is always if you think you can, you can. Some of the kids that go through these hockey programs, they might not become NHL players, but they come back and help the program by being mentors for other young boys and girls and help them set goals for themselves.
I recently spoke with a 13-year-old girl who had been through one of our programs a few years ago, and she said that she remembered when we came to her school and that we talked about believing in yourself. She said that she felt like she was a better person now and was working hard to set goals for herself. I love the sport, but if this is something that we can help teach young boys and girls even if they don’t continue to play hockey, I feel good about that.
