It took the National Hockey League quite a while to learn what a special player and person Willie O'Ree was and is.

Luckily, we now have Willie's own story about his hockey journey for reference. "Willie" shows what a remarkable life he's led.

O'Ree has been the answer to a trivia question for decades, of course. He was the first person of African descent to play a game in the NHL. Hockey's color line was shattered in January 1958 when he set foot on the ice for the Boston Bruins. To give you some perspective on what a step forward that was, the Boston Red Sox still hadn't used a black player at that point. Green integrated the Red Sox in the summer of 1959.

You might say O'Ree beat some long odds to play in the NHL. He played at a time when there were few blacks playing hockey in Canada, the usual spawning ground for hockey talent. O'Ree had an ancestor escape from the South in the United States in the 19th century, and he landed in New Brunswick. It was the most natural thing in the world for someone in that part of Canada to want to play hockey, especially considering he had plenty of athletic ability.

Yes, Willie encountered plenty of predjudice and racial taunts growing up, but in spite of the odd incident he mostly kept quiet and played hockey. It was a slow rise through the ranks, but O'Ree acquitted himself well in the NHL when he got the chance. The problem was that he didn't get much of a chance. Willie was traded by the Bruins in the summer of 1958, and wound up spending most of the rest of his career in the minors.

And here's the amazing part. O'Ree did it with one eye that worked. He was blind in his other eye. Considered that maybe 130 players could call themselves NHL players in the Original Six era. Willie was right on the fringe of making it with one eye. Is there any doubt he would have had a good career in the world's best league with two good eyes?

O'Ree has a few stories about how the color of his skin led to some skirmishes during his hockey years. A couple of players, Erik Nesterenko and Doug Messier, get singled out for some unnecessary physical abuse here. Others in the game, from officials to the fans, are mentioned here as well. Willie stuck up for himself when necessary. For the most part, though, O'Ree turned the other cheek and tried to respond by winning the game.

After retirement, O'Ree had a variety of jobs but couldn't get hockey out of his blood. Therefore, when the NHL called and asked if he'd like to help the league become diverse, he was ready. O'Ree has thrown himself into those duties for more than a quarter-century, and has received a ton of honors from a variety of sources. The biggest came when Willie went into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders' category. It was a popular choice.

O'Ree and Michael McKinley have written a relatively short book, but certainly Willie's class comes across nicely here. I could see this serving as an inspiration to teens, especially those in hockey. But fans of all ages ought to enjoy this.

O'Ree's unofficial nickname became "the Jackie Robinson of hockey" along the way. They certainly had similar landmarks but very different lives. Still, they both are members of an exclusive club. It's about time we heard O'Ree's story at length, and "Willie" works nicely in filling in a gap in hockey literature.

Subtitle: The Game-changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Willie O’Ree, the man known as the Jackie Robinson of the NHL. O’Ree made his first NHL appearances with the Boston Bruins during the 1957-58 hockey season then was sent back to the minors for more ‘seasoning’ before returning to the Bruins during the 1960-61 season.


O’Ree’s story is one of hard work, perseverance, and love for the sport of hockey. Priority to the influx of European players in the 1980s, the NHL was almost exclusively manned by Canadian players. During his childhood, O’Ree started playing the Canadian national sport on frozen ponds, developing an intense work ethic and desire to succeed.

Prior to his NHL debut, O’Ree became blinded in one eye in the minor leagues when an opposing player rammed the handle of his hockey stick into his face. O’Ree kept the loss of vision a secret from everyone except his sister so it wouldn’t hurt his chances of making it to the NHL. Once his blindness was discovered, no NHL teams would risk adding him to their roster, but Willie O’Ree kept on playing minor league hockey until he was nearly 40 years old.

I gave Willie five stars on Goodreads. It was a nostalgic and inspiring read. Although O’Ree’s time in the NHL was about a decade before I started following the sport, there were several of his teammates and opponents like Johnny Bucyk, Bobby Hull, and Henri Richard who were still playing when I became a fan.

Prior to reading this book I didn’t know very much about Willie O’Ree, so had been looking forward to learning more. The writing is easy and pleasant to read, the story inspiring and important. The cover is so striking and beautifully done too. This is an excellent, I would say must read, book for hockey fans.

The story of Willie O’Ree and his lifetime of accomplishments, both personal and professional, is told here in Willie’s own voice. It reads as if he is sitting with you, telling you stories about his life and experiences. From a hockey-mad kid in New Brunswick, to breaking the NHL’s color barrier, Willie speaks with a down-to-earth, humble style that makes you appreciate him even more. His story is one of hard struggles, facing racism on all levels, being traded to teams across the country, and playing while only having sight in one eye, Willie approaches all of these memories with the same approach- work hard, do your best, and never give up and you can be proud of what you accomplish. Today, as a member of the NHL’s diversity program, he helps show children that hockey is for everyone- and this book will inspire everyone who has ever faced challenges going forward towards their life long goals.

A must read autobiographical story of one of hockey’s great trailblazers

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange ofr an honest review

Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player is the memoir of Willie O’Ree, former Boston Bruin and current ambassador for the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone program.

To be honest, before reading his book, I didn’t know a whole hell of a lot about Willie O’Ree.  Is that my fault for not looking into who had been the NHL’s first black player?  Or should the blame lie at the feet of the game for not championing someone so courageous?  I’m sure it’s a mixture of both. Either way, I’m happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about Willie and the extraordinary life he has led.

Hockey was Willie’s ultimate passion and he would stop at absolutely nothing to achieve his goal of playing in the NHL.  In fact, he notes that being the “first black player” hadn’t even been on his mind, he said he had never looked at himself as a “black hockey player”, but rather as a “hockey player” first and foremost.  Unfortunately for Willie, that was not how some people chose to see him.  His road to the NHL would not be an easy one, not only would he have to deal with unabashedly racist fans, he was entering into a league with only six teams, which meant only the “best of the best” played in the NHL.

I enjoyed reading about the state of the minor leagues at the time Willie was playing professionally.  While there are basically only two roads into the NHL as a junior player in North America now (the Canadian Hockey League and Collegiate hockey), there seemed to be so many other places to play as a minor league player in the 1950s and 60s.  Willie spent time in the Quebec Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the American Hockey League before and after his stint in the NHL.

Willie’s humble nature and unwavering determination make for an enjoyable story.  It’s too bad that he had to put up with the ignorance of others, but he managed his career with grace and unimaginable bravery. I hope this book reaches a wide audience and more people learn about the "Jackie Robinson of hockey."