BOSTON (AP) — Willie O’Ree has experienced many honors during his lifetime, from becoming the NHL’s first Black player in 1958 with the Boston Bruins to being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
But the 86-year-old says having his No. 22 jersey retired in Boston on Tuesday will rank right up there near the top.
“It was something that I’ve never dreamed of,” O’Ree said in a phone interview Monday. “I was very fortunate to be called up to the Bruins in 1958 and played with them ’60 and ’61.