O’Ree became the first black player in NHL history back in 1958 when he laced up his skates for the Boston Bruins.
There is definitely some stark irony to that milestone. The Boston Red Sox were actually the last MLB team to field a black player after the color barrier was broken in their sport. Pumpsie Green first made an appearance on the Red Sox in 1959, 12 years after Jackie Robinson’s famous debut.
The same city that welcomed the first black player in hockey was the last holdover to segregation in another sport.
It’s important to note that while O’Ree was the first black player in the NHL, he did not officially break the league’s color barrier.