Wayne Simmonds was drawn to hockey at a young age.
He just wasn’t allowed to participate until one specific homework assignment was complete, on one specific figure.
“I remember being 6 or 7 years old, and I told my parents, ‘I want to play hockey.’ And they said before I could, I had to look up Willie O’Ree,” Simmonds, a Toronto Maple Leafs winger, told ESPN recently. “They wanted me to know why I was getting this opportunity to even be able to play the game. I did a lot of studying about Willie growing up, and ever since that, Willie has been my idol. Without him, not only Black children, but other BIPOC kids as well, probably wouldn’t have had their opportunities. Every ethnicity has its trailblazer; it’s first. Willie was the first.”
It was Jan. 18, 1958, when Willie O’Ree donned a Boston Bruins sweater and made history as the NHL’s first Black player. Because of a lifetime devoted to improving the sport he loves, O’Ree ensured he would not be the last. On Jan. 18, 2022, the Bruins will honor that legacy and their legendary alum by raising O’Ree’s No. 22 to the rafters in a long-awaited jersey retirement ceremony.
Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases throughout North America, O’Ree will have to attend the event virtually. His presence, though, could never be diminished. In speaking to those in and out of hockey whom he has inspired, his legacy will live on forever.
O’Ree’s story
O’Ree is a part of hockey lore, his story riddled with hardships overcome in the pursuit of one groundbreaking dream. Even before the Bruins initially recalled O’Ree to their ranks, he was harboring a painful secret: Just two years prior, the winger had been hit by an errant puck that left him blind in one eye. Had Boston known, O’Ree wouldn’t have been eligible for his NHL debut. The entire course of pro hockey might have changed forever.
As it was, O’Ree suited up in 45 games for Boston from 1958 to 1961, recording four goals and 14 points. His entire tenure there was marred by violence. Being…
Source : espn
