Willie O'Ree

Willie O'Ree in 2019Eric Connolly, U.S. House Photographer [Public domain]The crowd let out a roar as he stepped onto the ice. All eyes were watching eagerly as he skated, for he had just changed the sport of hockey forever. Willie O’Ree, a hockey player from Canada, was the first black man to skate in the NHL (National Hockey League). “O’Ree grew up in a town called Fredricson, New Brunswick, and he was the youngest of 13 siblings. O’Ree started skating when he was only three years old, and started to play organized hockey when he was five years old. He worked his way up through the minor leagues to eventually play his first NHL game in 1957” (Mortillaro 33). O’Ree loved playing hockey, and he ended up changing the sport more than he ever thought he would. Willie O’Ree never gave up on his path to get to the NHL, destroyed the “color barrier,” and changed the world, all of which make him an inspiration and a true hero.

Willie O’Ree’s ability to never quit, despite every single disadvantage he was up against, is what makes him a hero. After a lot of hard work, Willie O’Ree made it to the world of major league hockey: “In all, O’Ree played 21 seasons of professional hockey, experiencing both the best and worst of human behavior. In each city he played, O’Ree developed strong friendships with teammates both black and white. In some arenas though, he was spit on and called ugly names and had things thrown at him” (Kaminsky). Willie O’Ree lived his life the way he wanted to, making good decisions, and never giving up. He did not pay attention to the people who looked down on him, or the people that threw slurs at him. He didn't care what other people thought, and he was himself. Even after making it to the major leagues, Willie O’Ree still faced an upward battle: “Like Robinson, he faced racism as a person of African descent trying to break into a previously all-white sport. As he tried to ascend from hockey’s minor leagues to the NHL’s Boston Bruins, he was told that blacks were physiologically unsuited to playing hockey, and fans taunted him with racist abuse” (“Willie O’Ree.” Encyclopedia). This didn't stop Willie, and he didn't listen to what others said to him. He pursued his dream of playing hockey, and proved the world wrong. Willie O’Ree tried his best in everything that was thrown at him. He didn't care what other people thought about him, and he went right on ahead doing his thing. His mindset helped him succeed in life, and that is what makes him a hero.

Instead of playing in less known black-only hockey leagues, Willie O’Ree became the first black man to play in the NHL, proving that black men and women could do anything that anyone else could: “He was the first black man to play in an NHL game. Thousands of people would read about it. Maybe black boys would read about it. Maybe black boys would be inspired” (Mortillaro 64). After O’Ree stepped onto the ice for his first NHL game, everything changed. He had changed not only hockey, but the rest of sports too. Like Jackie Robinson, he broke the color barrier, opening up so many opportunities for other black men and women to play major league sports as well. Along with Jackie Robinson, O’Ree changed the way sports were played: “Like Jackie Robinson in major league baseball, Willie O’Ree broke the color barrier in professional hockey. He hardly considered himself a groundbreaker. ‘I was aware I was the first,’ O’Ree says, ‘but for me the real thrill was just playing the game’” (Kaminsky). O’Ree is considered a hero for becoming the first black man in the NHL, and for getting to the NHL despite all of the obstacles he faced in his life. He showed others that they could do anything they wanted, as long as they put their mind to it. Anyone can change the world, as long as they believe. Willie O’Ree is a hero for changing the world, and for proving that anyone can make a difference.

Willie O’Ree is a hero to the entire world. No matter what situation he was faced with, O’Ree never gave up, he broke the "color barrier," and he is an inspiration to everyone. Willie O’Ree isn't just an inspiration for becoming the first black man to play in the NHL, but for showing the world that anyone can do anything they desire, as long as they believe in themselves: “‘Hockey has opened up for everybody,’ he said. ‘I can see more [black] players coming in. A lot has changed and that’s good. I was the first one, and 16 years later, Mike Marson was the first [black] player drafted’ by the Washington Capitals in 1974” (Bell). Willie O’Ree always has been and will be an inspiration to all. He taught the world that anything is possible, and that change is always right around the corner. Hearing O’Ree’s story has inspired me to be the best me that I can be. I might just be one person, but just like Willie O’Ree, I too can change the world. Willie O’Ree is a hero because he never gave up on his path to the NHL, made great changes to the world, and is an inspiration to everyone, which makes him not only a hero, but a leader and a life-changer.

Works Cited

Bell, Daryl. “The NHL's First Black Player, Willie O'Ree, Had a Short but Pathbreaking Stint with the Boston Bruins.” The Undefeated, The Undefeated, 14 Nov. 2018, theundefeated.com/features/nhl-first-black-player-willie-oree/.

Kaminsky, Marty. "Breaking the barriers: Hockey's rough enough without having to battle racism too. But Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, remained strong through it all." Boys' Life, Nov. 2001, p. 52+. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A79965185/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=722e4d58. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.

Mortillaro, Nicole. Willie O’Ree: the Story of the First Black Player in the Nhl. Lorimer Children & Teens, 2018.

"Willie O'Ree." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 34, Gale, 2014. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631010153/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=76a10987. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.