O'Ree, Willie

Impact on the world

Became the first Black player in NHL history in 1958 while playing with one eye, having secretly lost vision in his right eye three years earlier after an on-ice injury, enduring sustained racial abuse including objects thrown at him on the ice throughout his career.

Life & background

O'Ree became the first Black player in National Hockey League history in 1958, playing two seasons with the Boston Bruins despite having secretly lost vision in his right eye three years earlier following an on-ice injury, a fact he concealed throughout his career to keep playing. He endured persistent racial slurs and physical attacks from opposing players and objects thrown at him by fans, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

Sources

1. HISTORY.com (9 Black Athletes Who Integrated Professional Sports); Encyclopædia Britannica; NHL; Hockey Hall of Fame (2018 inductee)