Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat, and NHL barrier-breaker Willie O’Ree will be on hand in the nation’s capital Tuesday night to perform the ceremonial puck drop for the Washington Capitals‘ “Black History in Hockey” game.
O’Ree was the first black player in the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year. Lewis is a civil rights leader, having helped organize the March on Washington in 1963, and has served in Congress since 1987.
The team and the Canadian embassy are also hosting the NHL’s “Black Hockey History Tour,” a so-called mobile museum that is traveling the continent during February presenting exhibits that honor “black achievement in hockey.