The Boston Bruins will retire Willie O’Ree’s No. 22.
O’Ree became the first black player in the NHL, when he played for the Bruins in 1958. The winger also played in Beantown in 1961. Since 1998, O’Ree has been the NHL’s diversity ambassador traveling across North America to promote messages of inclusion, dedication, and confidence. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. The ceremony will take place on February 18 at the TD garden, before the Bruins and New Jersey Devils game.
