Toronto Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds said it's a fitting tribute to O'Ree, a trailblazer in the sport.
"To honor Wille, putting on that [decal] is going to be great for everybody," Simmonds said. "Obviously for Black players like myself, he started the movement for us to even be considered to play in the NHL, and I think that goes for every other player of color in this league. Without Willie, none of this would be possible."
O'Ree, a forward, played 45 NHL games over two seasons (1957-58, 1960-61), all with the Bruins, despite being blind in his right eye. He enjoyed a lengthy and prolific minor league career, mostly in the old Western Hockey League.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 for his off-ice accomplishments that helped cultivate a new generation of players and fans as the NHL's Diversity Ambassador.
O'Ree helped establish 39 grassroots hockey programs in North America as part of the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone initiative and has inspired more than 120,000 boys and girls to play the sport.
His life story on and off the ice is chronicled in "Willie," an award-winning documentary released in 2019.