NEW YORK – Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL), was honored at the annual ‘Tradition’ awards ceremony in Boston, MA Tuesday evening. Hosted by The Sports Museum, the 10th annual awards gala included a presentation of the Hockey Legacy Award to O’Ree in recognition of his trailblazing NHL career and his many contributions to the community. Past recipients of this award include Boston Bruins alumni Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito and Harry Sinden. This year’s award was presented to O’Ree by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“On behalf of the National Hockey League family, we congratulate Willie O’Ree on being awarded the Hockey Legacy Award in recognition of his lifetime of outstanding achievement, service and dedication to the community,” said Kenneth Martin, Jr., NHL Vice President of Community Affairs. “We are proud of all that he has done as an ambassador for the game.”
O’Ree currently serves as the NHL’s Director of Youth Development and hockey ambassador for the Hockey is for Everyone initiative, a post he has held since January 1998. On January 18, 1958, playing for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens, he became the first black person to play in the NHL — an extraordinary event that paved the way for future players of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds.
Tuesday morning, O’Ree and fellow Bruins alumnus Tommy Songin joined the Boston Bruins Hockey Development Program for a special summer street hockey clinic for youngsters in Coahasset, Mass.
The Sports Museum is a nonprofit educational institution that leverages sports to teach values of leadership, respect, and cooperation to more than 7,000 youths each year. Celebrating its 10th year, The Sports Museum’s ‘Tradition’ is an annual summer event that honors distinguished New England athletes at the TD Garden.
This year’s ‘Tradition’ also honored Larry Bird, Bobbi Gibb, Ty Law, Mike Lowell and Micky Ward. For more information visit sportsmuseum.org.
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