Jackie Robinson was in wide-eyed disbelief the first time he shook the hand of Willie O’Ree. At the time, Robinson was three years removed from breaking the color barrier in baseball and O’Ree was just a kid from northern Canada. But Dodgers legend couldn’t believe who he was meeting.
“Mr. Robinson didn’t realize that there were any black kids playing hockey at that time,” O’Ree recalled. “I said, ‘Yeah there’s a few.'”
Nearly a decade later, O’Ree skated onto the ice inside Montreal Forum and became the first African-American player in NHL history.
Hockey inducted O’Ree into its Hall of Fame this week, but it presents another barrier that O’Ree could help take down. The NHL was never segregated like baseball, but it still has a problem with race — one it doesn’t seem willing to discuss. The recognition for O’Ree is long overdue and signifies what many hope is the beginning of the hockey community celebrating the impact of O’Ree and other trailblazers of color.
Since 1998, O’Ree has served as the Youth Director of the NHL Diversity task force and Diversity Ambassador to the Hockey is for Everyone Initiative. If playing in the NHL was always his dream, then his work with the NHL inclusion initiative is the blessing O’Ree never knew to wish for.
“My dad said, ‘Willie, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,’ and there’s a lot of truth to that. That’s the way I feel about this position,” O’Ree said.
As a direct result of O’Ree’s community engagement, the number of black hockey players has significantly increased.
“Getting in as a builder is the highest honor you can get,” former NHL winger Anson Carter said ahead of Monday night’s induction ceremony. “The fact that he’s a builder and is responsible for over 100,000 kids for the last 20 years being introduced to the game of hockey really says something about Willie’s character, work ethic, and respect for the responsibility of giving back to the game of hockey.”
Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
O’Ree always conducts his duties to the game with a smile on his face, but he is not blind to the realities of the times. When asked what he would say to players or fans that need convincing hockey is an inclusive sport, the Fredericton-native responded, “You can please some of the people some of the time, most of the people most of the time, but you can’t please all the people all the time.”
O’Ree’s message to anyone feeling isolated from their passion is to be proud of what you do and what you stand for, whether you are celebrated, insulted, or seemingly ignored along the way. “There are still going to be some racist people out there regardless of what you do. You’re still going to hear the racial slurs and remarks. I still hear them today and I haven’t played hockey since 1980.”
“When you return to your communities, take a look around. Find a young boy or girl who needs the opportunity to play hockey, and give it to them, You never know, they may make history.”
Making a case for Herb Carnegie and others
O’Ree may have been the first black player in the NHL, but he certainly wasn’t the only qualified player. One year after Jackie Robinson suited up for the Dodgers, Herb Carnegie was courted by the New York Rangers. Thrice he was offered a minor league contract and thrice he rejected it. Each offer was lower than his earnings with the Sherbrooke Saints of the Quebec Senior Hockey league. Carnegie’s first priority was being able to provide for his family, so he passed on the opportunity, which was an immediate pay cut.
Even before O’Ree was officially named to the 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame class, Carnegie’s named has been tossed around as a Hall-worthy contributor to the game. “For a long time, I have thought about it,” Bernice Carnegie–Herb’s daughter– told FanSided on the red carpet Monday night. “But you know, he’s been inducted into 13 other halls of fame and it would be really nice if a new group of people could actually know his contribution because it was a great contribution.”
The Hockey Hall of Fame Tends to skew towards North American-born players from the NHL. This often eliminates players from the minor leagues, international leagues, and women’s hockey. With O’Ree entering through the builder category, the hope is the eyes of the sport will look beyond the biases that stack the cards for, quite frankly, white men.
“I think all those denominations go away [once you enter the Hall],” said 2015 inductee Angela Ruggerio. The USA Hockey standout is one of six (including 2018 inductee Jayna Hefford) women to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. “It sends a strong signal in the hockey community that you have women represented … and someone like Willie O’Ree too. If hockey is for everyone, let’s memorialize and support those who’ve done the most to break down barriers.” For many in the hockey community, O’Ree’s induction has opened the door for other pioneers of color to get their time in the spotlight.
Photo by Greg Fiume/NHLI via Getty Images
Memorializing O’Ree
Ruggiero went on to share her utmost respect for O’Ree’s love for hockey and his ability to hold the door open for anyone, regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic background. Again, the parallels to Jackie Robinson come to the front of mind. Robinson is synonymous with baseball, much like O’Ree has become to hockey, the NHL in particular.
In memory of Robinson, the MLB has retired the number 42 throughout all of baseball and every year honors him on the anniversary of his major league debut. On the surface, baseball has embraced the legacy of Robinson in all facets of the game. However, in practice, baseball (like hockey) still misses the mark when it comes to full integration and inclusion.
With O’Ree now in the Hall, can the NHL best major league baseball? Can they correctly celebrate Willie’s legacy while still striving for better? One advantage hockey has is O’Ree himself. At 83 years old, he is as committed as ever to enhancing the opportunities for anyone to play his beloved sport.
Despite the record on race and racism in hockey and society, O’Ree remains optimistic that the best is yet to come. After nearly 70 years in the game, O’Ree remains steadfast in his mission to diversify hockey. “Tonight, I am here to tell you, we are not done, because the work is not done. We have barriers to break … and opportunities to give,” remarked O’Ree during his induction speech Monday evening.
He then issued a challenge to all those listening; to the entire hockey world, “When you return to your communities, take a look around. Find a young boy or girl who needs the opportunity to play hockey, and give it to them, You never know, they may make history.”
O’Ree has been given many opportunities along his path, including the chance to meet Robins again as an adult. Years after they first met, the pair of pioneers ended up at the same function in California.
At a luncheon hosted by the NAACP in 1962, O’Ree’s coach for the Los Angeles Blades went to introduce him and two other players to Mr. Robinson-who was long-since retired from baseball. “Mr Robinson turned to me and said, ‘Aren’t you the kid I met in Brooklyn?’ So he remembered me from 1949 to 1962,” O’Ree told FanSided on Friday as he stood adjacent to his plaque in the Great Hall of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Last month, Willie O’Ree visited the game changers exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History & Culture, where he met Jackie for the third time, and where he will, hopefully, join him in his rightful place in history.