Willie O’Ree, SoCal Legend Gets Overdue Call to the NHL Hall of Fame
Willie O’Ree has finally been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s known as the first black player in NHL history. Closer to home, he was an all-star for two early SoCal teams.
Willie O’Ree will go down in the history books as the first black hockey player in NHL history. Hockey’s version of Jackie Robinson if you will (O’Ree met the Dodgers Hall-of-Famer when he was 14). His induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame on that basis alone should have happened years ago.
I could write a book about O’Ree breaking the NHL’s color barrier. It would be one of many. The racism he faced back then (and still today) never defined him. He was happy to be a professional hockey player and did his best to avoid those who wanted to put a premature end to his career.
I could write about how the sport he loved cost him the sight in one eye. Two years before the Boston Bruins called him up, O’Ree was hit in the face with a puck. As a result of the injury, he lost 95 percent of his vision on the right side. Boston never knew about the eye when they signed him.
I could write about his work as a sort of ambassador for the NHL. He’s been with the NHL since 1996 promoting diversity and the “Hockey is for Everyone” initiative. The league now gives the annual Willie O’Ree Community Hero award to those who “champion local efforts through hockey.”
What I will write about is Willie O’Ree’s impact on Southern California hockey.
WHL Star
Before the NHL came to the West Coast, there was the Western Hockey League. A “minor league” operation that was to hockey, what the Pacific Coast League was to baseball before the Dodgers and Giants moved west in 1958. Two teams represented SoCal in those days the L.A. Blades and original San Diego Gulls. Willie O’Ree played for both.
When the L.A. Blades joined the WHL in 1967, O’Ree was part of the team. He was with Los Angeles for their entire existence 1961-67. They weren’t very good, but O’Ree was a standout and their best player. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in games (378), goals (175), and points (325). Additionally, he was 3rd in assists (150), and fourth penalty minutes (306).
In the mid 60’s, the National Hockey League was facing mounting competition from other leagues including the WHL. Jack Kent Cooke was awarded a franchise in 1966 and the Los Angeles Kings played their first game in 1968. That spelled the end of the Blades. O’Ree, however, stayed in SoCal, joining the original San Diego Gulls for the 1967-68 season.
San Diego was one of the WHL’s best drawing teams and the Fredericton, NB native was one of the reasons. Len Ronson, Al Nicholson, and O’Ree were the stars that filled the old San Diego Sports Arena. He stayed in San Diego until the league folded in 1973-74 and finished third in franchise history in games (407), goals (153), and points (314).
Even though he was 37 when the WHL ceased operations, he stayed in San Diego, playing for two other lower level teams, the San Diego Charms (SoCal Sr.), and San Diego Hawks (Pacific Hockey League). O’Ree finally hung up his skates at the age of 40 and settled in the city.
Post Retirement
On October 16, 2015, the current incarnation of the San Diego Gulls honored O’Ree on his 80th birthday. Per a San Diego Gulls Press Release, O’Ree accepted the honor with the same humility that he has lived his entire life.
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“I feel privileged and grateful that the new Gulls organization has extended its hand and chosen to honor me. I have told Gulls management and players that nothing would make me happier than to have current and future Gulls continue to wear #20, the number I wore while with the Gulls. I am excited that you fans will get to see the great #20 both on the ice and in the rafters this year and for years to come.”
O’Ree has stayed active in the area. Last year he visited four schools in Orange County as part of the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation and Education) Program. He spoke to the students about diversity and overcoming obstacles. Topics that he is certainly well acquainted with and happy to share with the kids.
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O’Ree’s importance to the game of hockey is undeniable. For 82 years, he has carried himself with grace and class. Part of the reason we have hockey in Southern California today is that O’Ree, as part of the L.A. Blades and San Diego Gulls in the 60’s and 70’s, showed that the game could draw crowds in a non-traditional market.