Willie O'Ree, the NHL's First Black Player

This week, Major shares an extended interview with the National Hockey League's first Black player, Willie O'Ree. O'Ree entered the NHL in 1958 with the Boston Bruins, and persevered through racial discrimination and an injury that left him blind in his right eye. The Boston Bruins retired O'Ree's number 22 jersey this week, and Congress passed the The Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act honoring O'Ree for breaking hockey's racial barrier. O'Ree currently works as the NHL's director of youth development and diversity ambassador. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), who sponsored the legislation, offer their thoughts on O'Ree's legacy on and off the ice. If you missed it, you can watch Major’s CBS Mornings piece on O’Ree here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices