The RBC Black History Month Student Essay Competition
November 4, 2018
“Hockey is for Everyone1: The Lifetime Commitment of Willie O’Ree”
Diversity in Canada is not just a black and white issue for Willie O’Ree. O’Ree was not only the first man of color to play in the NHL but he is someone who has continued to push the boundaries of inclusivity in North America using our beloved national sport of hockey as his vehicle.
Willie, who was the youngest of 13 children, grew up in Fredericton after his grandparents escaped slavery to come to Canada using the Underground Railway.2 Willie was a boy who could skate like the wind but he had to overcome a lot of adversity to achieve his dream of playing in the NHL. His family could not afford new hockey equipment and they had to ask for donations to help pay team fees. It was while he was playing Junior hockey that he was struck in the eye by an errant puck and lost 95 percent of his vision in his right eye. Willie was back on the ice in two months and he kept the secret of his blindness from everyone but his family, as the NHL prohibited playing with this injury.3 It was on Jan.18,1957 that Willie’s hard work came to fruition as he was called up by the Boston Bruins to play his first NHL game in Montreal. He was the only black player in the NHL until 1974 and he endured many racial taunts from fans and opposing players. However, the inclusion of a black player for the first time, in a competitive league with only six teams during an era of segregation, was a milestone that would begin Willie’s passionate journey to open the sport up for children of all backgrounds.
Willie continued to play hockey for 21 years but it is his contributions off the ice that have pushed O’Ree into the category of a legend. In 1998, Willie was appointed by the NHL to be the first Diversity Ambassador and the face of its annual “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign to encourage children of all ethnic and economic backgrounds to get involved in hockey and believe that they can achieve their ambitions.4 O’Ree has traveled all through the North America for almost two decades, inspiring youth with his story but also teaching “life skills, education, and the core values of hockey, which are: commitment, perseverance and teamwork.”5 Willie has providing funding with his job to grassroots
organizations so that children from disadvantaged homes can compete in the sport he loves. His “All Stars Weekend” tournament for children from different economic and cultural backgrounds has children competing on the ice but also learning off the ice how to build their character and self-confidence.6 During Willie’s tenure with the “Hockey is For Everyone” program, the NHL has expanded its powerful message of inclusion to also include sexual orientation, gender and disabilities. Respect for others is expected is on and off the ice.7 Teams have nominated one player to represent this goal “in their markets and be an advocate for underrepresented, marginalized or disadvantaged communities.”8With the divisive political rhetoric that is coming from south of our borders it is more important than ever for Canada to stand up for unity, equality and respect among people who might be different then ourselves. As Canadians we have chosen to value these goals as they are entrenched in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Even though the NHL has greatly increased in the number of players with different ethnicities in the game, they still experience racism as evidenced by the banana peel thrown on the ice to insult Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers.9 It is a reminder that we need people like Willie O’Ree to push us to do more. It is only fitting that Darcy Haugen, the now deceased coach of the Humboldt Broncos who challenged his players with a core covenant that included words such as respect, integrity, belief and building foundations for future generations, was the first recipient of the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.10 Willie O’Ree was a trailblazer on the ice and off the ice. He is someone who passionately wants children, no matter their backgrounds, to know that they can achieve their dreams and be accepted for who they are. Or as Wayne Simmonds so aptly put it, “Willie was like the first man on the moon. He wasn’t just a hockey player. He was an astronaut.”11 We need more astronauts in our world.
1 ”Hockey is for Everyone ambassadors named,” NHL.com, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.nhl.com/news/hockey-is-for-everyone-ambassadors-named/c-295490012.
2 ”Hockey Hall of Fame finally puts Willie O’Ree where he belongs,” The Star, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/06/26/hockey-hall-of-fame-finally-puts-willie-oree-where-he-belongs.html.
3 Jeremy Freeborn, “Willie O’Ree.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/willie-oree.
4 Alan Maimon, “Willie O’Ree broke hockey’s color barrier. Now he wants more kids like him to play.” The Washington Post, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/he-broke-hockeys-color-barrier-now-he-wants-more-kids-like-him-to-play/2016/04/12/5e5a15bc-ea0d-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3205f78b1469.
5 ”Hockey is for Everyone. William (Willie) O’Ree. Director of Youth Development,” NHL.com, accessed November 4, 2018, http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25345.
6 “Annual ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ month begins today,” NHLPA, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.nhlpa.com/news/1-14945/annual-hockey-is-for-everyone-month-begins-today.
7 “Annual ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ month begins today,” NHLPA, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.nhlpa.com/news/1-14945/annual-hockey-is-for-everyone-month-begins-today.
8 ”Hockey is for Everyone ambassadors named,” NHL.com, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.nhl.com/news/hockey-is-for-everyone-ambassadors-named/c-295490012.
9 Wayne Simmonds, “The Astronaut.” The Players’ Tribune, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/wayne-simmonds-the-astronaut.
10 Rob Williams, “Humboldt Broncos coach honored as ‘Community Hero’ at NHL Awards,” The Daily Hive, accessed November 4, 2018, http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/humboldt-broncos-coach-darcy-haugan-nhl-awards-2018.
11 Wayne Simmonds, “The Astronaut.” The Players’ Tribune, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/wayne-simmonds-the-astronaut.
Bibliography
[NHL]. (2017, April 26). Memories: Willie O'Ree is NHL's first black player [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhUiG7SaCIc.
“Annual ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ month begins today,”NHLPA, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.nhlpa.com/news/1-14945/annual-hockey-is-for-everyone-month-begins-today.
D’Andrea, Aaron. “First black NHLer Willie O’Ree ‘inspirational’ to Malvern youth.” Toronto.com, accessed on November 4, 2018, https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8375069-first-black-nhler-willie-o-ree-inspirational-to-malvern-youth/.
Freeborn, Jeremy. “Willie O’Ree.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/willie-oree.
”Hockey Hall of Fame finally puts Willie O’Ree where he belongs,” The Star, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/06/26/hockey-hall-of-fame-finally-puts-willie-oree-where-he-belongs.html.
”Hockey is for Everyone ambassadors named,” NHL.com, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.nhl.com/news/hockey-is-for-everyone-ambassadors-named/c-295490012.
”Hockey is for Everyone. William (Willie) O’Ree. Director of Youth Development,” NHL.com, accessed November 4, 2018, http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25345.
Maimon, Alan. “Willie O’Ree broke hockey’s color barrier. Now he wants more kids like him to play.” The Washington Post, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/he-broke-hockeys-color-barrier-now-he-wants-more-kids-like-him-to-play/2016/04/12/5e5a15bc-ea0d-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3205f78b1469.
Simmonds, Wayne. “The Astronaut.” The Players’ Tribune, accessed November 4, 2018, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/wayne-simmonds-the-astronaut.
Williams, Rob. “Humboldt Broncos coach honored as ‘Community Hero’ at NHL Awards,” The Daily Hive, accessed November 4, 2018, http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/humboldt-broncos-coach-darcy-haugan-nhl-awards-2018.