How one man changed hockey forever.
Written by Miranda Wyse
On Jan. 18, 1958, Willie O’Ree, whose grandparents escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad, stepped onto the ice for the first time as a player for the Boston Bruins. With his helmet off, he took his rookie lap around the rink, not only the first Black player to play for the Bruins, but the first Black player to ever play in the NHL.
Just eight years before, another player, Art Dorrington, broke a barrier that allowed for this moment to come to fruition. Dorrington was the first Black player to sign a contract with the NHL. Though he never played above the minor league, he created a stepping stone for O’Ree to take that rookie lap for the Bruins. Even with that barrier broken, an injury to the eye would have prevented O’Ree from taking those steps onto the ice. He got hit with a puck that left him blinded in his right eye. He never disclosed this injury to the league.
O’Ree faced the most severe racist remarks and slurs in the United States, especially when compared to cities like Toronto and Montreal. A notable incident involved the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1960-1961 season. O’Ree was called racist names by the opposing players and fans after hitting Blackhawk player Eric Nesterenko, even though Nesterenko had started the altercation by hitting O’Ree first. Blackhawks players threatened to kill him, and he was lucky to make it out alive that night. Although it didn’t phase O’Ree much at all, the insulting remarks are still found in the sport decades after he took his final steps off the ice.
Racism still prevails in the sport, long after O’Ree made his debut. Former Cleveland Junior Baron, Caleb Wyse, reported being called harsh racial slurs during games by teammates and fans in the 1990s and 2000s. Johnathan Diaby, a former Nashville Predators player, also reported similar remarks, going so far as to fight a fan in the middle of the game due to the remarks.
O’Ree played for the Bruins, and the NHL as a whole, for two seasons. Once in the 1957-1958 season and again in the 1960-1961 season. Despite a short involvement with the NHL, O’Ree still left an impact on the history of hockey. His accomplishments on the ice sent a shockwave through the sport, but not without some bumps in the road.
O’Ree was the only Black player in the league until Mike Marson joined the Washington Capitals in 1974. As of 2025, there are only 37 Black players in the NHL. This accounts for less than 3% of players across the league. Though there is no official record of ethnicity as a part of the league’s statistics so the number may vary, and it is likely that even less than 3% of players are Black.
Internationally, doors opened for Black players as well. Kenya joined the International Ice Hockey Federation on Sept. 27, 2024. Kenya is the fifth African country to join the team following South Africa (1937), Morocco (2010), Algeria (2019) and Tunisia (2021).
As for Cleveland, despite having two Black players on the Cleveland Monsters as of 2025 and many Black spectators, there was a time when there were no Black players on the team at all. Jet Greaves became the first known Black player on the Monsters when he joined in the 2021-2022 season.
Hockey is still a predominantly white sport, but with O’Ree’s seasons with the Bruins, he opened the sport up for many other people of color to join.
The league now requires players to enroll in a preseason diversity training seminar. O’Ree serves as the NHL’s diversity ambassador. Race based verbal abuse is now punishable by fines and suspensions.
O’Ree’s impact can be seen elsewhere as well. Washington Capitals player Madison Bowey honored O’Ree by wearing his number while on the team. Greaves now plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Wyse is a coach for various teams across Ohio.
O’Ree still continues to advocate for better working conditions for not only Black players but players of every race and ethnicity.
