O'Ree overcame racial prejudice and blindness in his right eye, the result of a hockey injury, and debuted with the Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens at the Forum on Jan. 18, 1958.
He appeared in 45 NHL games for the Bruins during the 1957-58 and 1960-61 seasons, finishing with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists). He also played more than 1,000 games and scored more than 400 goals in the minor leagues, mostly in the Western Hockey League, before retiring in 1979.
Since then, the 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee has helped establish 39 grassroots hockey programs and inspired more than 120,000 boys and girls from all backgrounds play the game.
"Diversity and inclusiveness are cherished Canadian values, and it is wonderful to see them come to life every time kids and adults of all backgrounds band together to play Canada's game," said Marie Lemay, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "Willie O'Ree's courageous determination to play at the highest level of professional hockey inspired generations of black players to carve their own paths as NHL legends."
Matt Eggink, the mint's product manager, said he's wanted to produce an O'Ree coin for a long time and is thrilled that it has finally happened.
"As a pioneer of the game, his courage and dedication to break hockey's color barrier makes him ever so deserving of this recognition," Eggink said. "With Black History Month upon us, he's the right person to pay tribute to this year as he continues to pave the way for young people to be part of the game he loves."
