O'Ree, who became the NHL's first Black player when he debuted Jan. 18, 1958 with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, said he's excited about becoming involved with the Pride, who won the Isobel Cup last season.
"It is a thrill for me to extend my involvement in the sport and community that are such special parts of my life," O'Ree said. "The growth of the women's game is so important, and I admire these world-class athletes for being role models who are making a difference for younger generations. … I am proud to be a member of the Pride and look forward to cheering these women on as they compete for another championship."
The Pride, a founding member of the then-National Women's Hockey League in 2015, also won the Isobel Cup that season.
Miles Arnone, chair and principal owner of the Pride, said he's "honored to welcome Willie, an iconic hockey pioneer, to our ownership group."
"Willie is a true trailblazer that has given so much of his life to the sport," Arnone said. "His mission is reflected in our values as an organization and as a league that strives to grow the game for everyone."
O'Ree is the latest person of color to become a part-owner of a PHF franchise. A diverse group led by retired NHL forward Anthony Stewart, former NHL coach Ted Nolan, Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James and Bernice Carnegie, the daughter of hockey legend Herb Carnegie, are part of an ownership group that purchased the Toronto Six.
Stewart, James and Carnegie, whose father is regarded by several hockey historians as one of the best players who never played in the NHL, are Black. Nolan, who coached the Buffalo Sabres (1995-97, 2013-15) and New York Islanders (2006-08) and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1997, is Ojibwe First Nations.
O'Ree played 45 NHL games over two seasons (1957-58, 1960-61) with the Bruins and scored 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) despite being legally blind in his right eye, the result of an injury sustained while playing junior hockey. But he had a lengthy pro career, mostly in the Western Hockey League, where he scored 639 points (328 goals, 311 assists) in 785 games with Los Angeles and San Diego.
O'Ree was named the NHL's diversity ambassador in 1998. He has helped establish 39 grassroots hockey programs and inspired more than 120,000 boys and girls to play the sport. The bill to present O'Ree the Congressional Gold Medal was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Feb. 1. It is awarded to individuals or groups for distinguished achievements and contributions. Recipients include George Washington, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Jackie Robinson, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 as a Builder, mainly for his off-ice accomplishments. His life story was chronicled in an award-winning documentary, "Willie," released in 2019.
A life-sized bronze statue of O'Ree highlights a Black hockey exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
