<!—->
It was in Boston that O’Ree played all 45 matches in the most famous competition in the world. Most of them, forty-three, in the 1960/61 season. He added the other two three years earlier.
On January 18, 1958, O’Ree first appeared in the Bruins. As the only black hockey player. And straight against the main rival from Montreal, right in the legendary Forum hall. At that time, only the original six teams played the competition, and Boston won the match 3-0.
“When I was about six or seven, I told my parents that I wanted to play hockey. They told me I had to know Willie O’Ree first. They wanted me to know why I have the opportunity to play this sport, “Toronto striker Wayne Simmonds told ESPN television.
“Willie has become my idol. Not only his, not only black children, but also other children from BIPOC (designation for black, indigenous and colored people) would probably not get their chance, “he added.
To this day, he is compared to MLB: Jim Kaat will become an immortal in Minnesota”>Jackie Robinson, who overcame the racial barrier in America’s highest baseball competition – MLB.
“Willie is hockey Jackie Robinson,” says Minnesota defender Matt Dumba.
“As a kid, I had my first book on Jackie Robinson. And as a hockey player, I was very interested in the story of Willie O’Ree, “said Mark Fraser, a German Schwenninger, who previously played in New Jersey, Toronto and Edmonton.
Today, the 86-year-old Canadian did not make a significant impact in hockey. He scored four goals in the NHL, scoring fourteen points. Nevertheless, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2018. It is necessary to add that in the role of the so-called builder or builder.
He built his great career only in the lower WHL, where he entered 785 matches. He scored 639 points for 328 goals and 311 assists. Although he basically saw only the left eye. He lost his sight in the right place due to an injury at a junior age.
He also suffered a lot during hockey and personal life. He regularly encountered racist insults and attacks.
“I had no problems with any racist remarks or racist insults against me. That came later when we went to cities like Detroit, Chicago or New York. There, I encountered insults not only from the players, but also from the fans in the stands, “O’Ree described in an interview with Canadian television CBC.
He continued, “I had to sit on the penalty bench and the fans spat at me or threw drinks at me. They swore at me neg … and I had to sit there and put up with it. At that time, the judges and the lineups did nothing. Even the moderators and the people who worked in the arena never reported anything. They didn’t do anything. “
But he didn’t complain too much. He remained excited about the game he loved. He also didn’t want to talk about racial issues at the time. His older brother Richard also advised him: “Willie, focus on your goals, work hard and stay positive, he told me … That’s what I tried to do as a Bruins player every time I put on my jersey.”
He had problems with his rivals, especially with the Canadian Eric Nesterenko, the Chicago striker. O’Ree remembered him in his autobiography. Nesterenko was supposed to swear at him racistly at the start of the 1960s and deliberately attack him outside the game. They both met again by chance after thirty years. The black hockey player was supposed to hear only the warm “Hello, how are you?”
“He was probably the only player I really had problems with. He deliberately put it in my mouth, knocked out my teeth and broke my nose … And I wanted to show it to the people in the book. I wanted to say, “This is the guy who was causing me the most trouble when I played for the Bruins.”
Today, 88-year-old Nesterenko has not yet commented on the problem. O’Ree is well aware that these difficulties, among other things, still occur in hockey and that they will not disappear so quickly.
“I have letters and phone calls from my parents asking me what they can do when their children leave the rink and cry … We’re going in the right direction, but it will take time. I may not see much change in my life. It’s bad what’s going on around racism right now, but at least in the NHL, players are being punished for racist insults. “
When TD Garden No. 22 went under the ceiling on Tuesday, he remembered the times when he came to Boston. According to him, at a time when “some fans and players were not ready to see a black man in the NHL”.
“I will never forget how my teammates in the Bruins locker room accepted me as their own,” he recalled for the official website of the Canadian-American competition.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, he only attended the ceremony at a distance, so he appeared at least on the dice in the hall: “Bruins fans, I’m honored to have the pleasure of playing in front of you,” he said. “Thank you for your immense love and support. It’s an unforgettable day. I am amazed and excited to be a part of the club forever. “
O’Ree later played hockey. In America, he helped establish 39 educational programs that brought about 130,000 girls and boys to hockey.
And his message to fight racism?
“It simply came to our notice then. You won’t change your skin color, and I know you wouldn’t. If people can’t accept you the way you are, it’s their problem. Just go out, be who you are, and treat people the way you want them to treat you. ”
<!—->
.
