O'Ree honored by NHL Coaches' Association with declaration signing

The tributes to
Willie O'Ree
becoming the first Black player in the NHL more than 60 years ago keep coming.

The NHL Coaches' Association announced it's honoring O'Ree by signing on to the
NHL Declaration of Principles
. Unveiled in September 2017, the declaration was developed by and for 17 hockey stakeholders to advance policies, programs and initiatives to create the best possible experience for the entire hockey community.
It declares, in part, that all hockey programs should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.
[RELATED: NHL Declaration of Principles]
"The actual formalization of support for the Declaration of Principles comes at a time where you've seen a lot of change over the past year throughout the sports industry as a whole, not just major league hockey," NHLCA president Lindsay Artkin said. "We want to help develop this positive change in sports culture and the timing of it coming out on Martin Luther King Day and Willie O'Ree's anniversary was a significant time to announce we are signing on. We're excited to formalize it."
Artkin said the NHLCA had already been practicing some of the declaration's principles before becoming a signee. It began its BIPOC Coaches and Female Coaches Development programs last year.

The initiatives aim to support Black and Indigenous coaches of color and women in several areas, including skills development, leadership strategies, communication, networking and career advancement.
At the same time, more Americans will have the opportunity to learn more about O'Ree, who made history when he played for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens at the Forum on Jan. 18, 1958.
Gray Television will air "Willie," the award-winning documentary about the life and times of the Fredericton, New Brunswick, native, throughout January and February. Gray Television owns and operates 160 local stations and digital properties that reach 90 million U.S. households.
The documentary, produced by former NHL executive Bryant McBride and directed by Laurence Mathieu-Leger, chronicles how O'Ree overcame racial prejudice and blindness in his right eye to play 45 games for the Bruins between 1958-61. He scored 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) during his NHL career.
It traces his path from his boyhood home, to his playing days, to his current role as NHL diversity ambassador, to his induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
"Launching the local distribution of 'Willie' with the NHL and Gray TV on Jan. 18, MLK Day and the 63rd anniversary of Willie's first game feels especially poignant," McBride said, "as the United States faces the need to overcome formidable obstacles, just as Dr. King and Willie and other social justice pioneers did. We hope that sharing Willie's story with 90 million U.S. TV households through the end of Black History Month can play a small part in honoring Dr. King's, Willie's and so many others' courageous contributions during similarly challenging times."
The annoucements Monday were the latest of several tributes to O'Ree. NHL players are wearing decals on the back of their helmets to celebrate O'Ree's accomplishments and to observe the King holiday. The Bruins announced on Tuesday that the team will retire O'Ree's No. 22 on Feb. 18 before Boston plays the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden.