"This esteemed honor is befitting Willie O'Ree, a pioneer whose impact on hockey has been groundbreaking, profound and enduring," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday. "A true pioneer and trailblazer, O'Ree can add another achievement to his list of accolades: the first hockey player to receive the Congressional Gold Medal in its nearly 250-year history. Congratulations, Willie, and well deserved."
With a bipartisan 426-0 vote on Jan. 19, the House passed a bill to bestow the U.S. Congress' highest honor on O'Ree, who became the first Black player in the NHL when he debuted with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens at the Montreal Forum on Jan. 18, 1958.
The U.S. Senate passed its version of the bill on July 27, 2021. The House vote came the day after the Boston Bruins retired O'Ree's No. 22 in a ceremony at TD Garden.
No date for when he will he receive the award has been determined.
The Congressional Gold Medal 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 played 45 games for the Bruins over two seasons (1957-58, 1960-61) and scored 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) despite being legally blind in his right eye, the result of an injury sustained playing junior hockey.
He had a lengthy pro career, mostly in the old Western Hockey League, where he scored 639 points (328 goals, 311 assists) in 785 games for Los Angeles and San Diego.
Following his playing career, O'Ree helped establish 39 grassroots hockey programs and inspired more than 130,000 boys and girls play the sport.
"Since 1998, O'Ree has been an ambassador for positive social change using hockey as a platform to build character, teach skills, and impart the values of hockey - perseverance, teamwork and dedication," Commissioner Bettman said.
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.
"The president signing this bill yesterday means that the work O'Ree has done will never be forgotten," said Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat from Illinois and one of the co-sponsors of the House bill. "He has left a permanent mark on the sport, and I can think of no better way to thank him than to honor him with the Congressional Gold Medal."
