Original subtitles

(film reel rolling) (tense music)

- [Willie] In 1958, it broke the color barrier

in the National Hockey League.

Every game that I played, there was racial remarks

directed towards me.

They would say the N-word, and they would say,

"You should be back pickin' cotton," and

"What are you doin' in a white man's game?"

But I just went out and played.

When I was 14 years of age, I met Jackie Robinson

in Ebbets Field.

I told him that I played hockey and he didn't realize

that there were any black kids playing hockey

at that time, and I said, "Yes, Mr. Robinson,

"there's a few."

And then it was in 1962, I met him again

and he said, "Willie O'Ree, aren't you the young fella

"I met in Brooklyn?"

So he remembered me from 1949 to 1962.

That definitely made a big impact on me.

It was the media that gave me that name

the Jackie Robinson of Hockey.

The name has stuck with me over the years, but,

I'm the Willie O'Ree of Hockey.

- [News Man] And we're happy to have with us now

Willie O'Ree, and Willie, where are you from?

- Well I'm from Fredericton, New Brunswick,

and I played most of my hockey there and my minor hockey

and it'll have to take a lot being the first

colored player in any pro league or in the National League.

But I went along and I played as hard as I could.

- [News Reporter] Making sports history in hockey,

Willie O'Ree of the Boston Bruins is the first negro

to play in the National Hockey League.

- [Man] It must be quit an exciting thing, isn't it,

to get into an NHL game?

- [Willie] It was the greatest thrill of my life,

I believe.

I'll always remember this day.

- [Man] Fredericton's Willie O'Ree was honored at a game

between the Montreal Canadians and the Boston Bruins

where he was recognized for being the first

black player in the NHL, breaking in 60 years ago.

So what do you think?

Should Willie O'Ree be in the hockey hall of fame?

Let us know, you can send us an email at

InfoAMFredericton@CBC.ca.

(soft acoustic music)

(people chattering)

- He's almost here.

We've been patiently waiting for them to plan.

It's great, I haven't seen him for a while, too.

It's amazing.

Kind of lucky that this worked out today.

There's talk right now that Willie may be

going into the Hall of Fame,

and it will be very, very exciting.

There he is.

- [Brenda] Yes, that's him, I see him.

- You know when I talk about Willie, I think back to

being from the city of Fredericton.

It was a good start for Willie to know

that you could be successful and there were people

in the world that were good and I think Fredericton

played a big role in that, I really do.

I really do.

'Cause I've seen that my whole life.

(soft music)

- There you are.

Were you on the last seat?

(people chattering)

(soft orchestral music)

- So uh, you got cut from the high school team that year.

- [Willie] Cut?

Yeah.

- You nailed the coach's son. - Yeah, broke his collarbone.

He come down the ice with his head down

and I just stepped into him and you know.

- I remember when we used to go to Quebec to

see you play when you were at the Aces.

Your father and Bubsy, Joey, George.

Willie and I have known ourselves since ice skating

at the York Arena and ball in the summer time

and then after that we were together all the time.

For him and I, we just had a very special relationship.

(soft music)

Well I couldn't find it but it's close.

- It's a click?

I heard a click, that's it. (laughing)

All right, we're good to go.

(car starts up)

It's just nice to get together with my friends,

and I have a lot of good memories.

- [Junior] Great memories.

- Gosh yeah.

We've been on some great fishing trips together.

- [Junior] We've been fishing since we were very young.

- [Willie] Yeah.

- We had so much fun.

Oh, god, the places we went and the things we did,

it was incredible.

One time, Willie gets this Spaniel dog

up where he was playing hockey, Sammy.

- [Willie] Sammy.

- Of course Willie couldn't take it back

with him to play hockey, so he left it with his father.

And remember, he would always complain that,

"Why did you leave me this dog?"

But he wouldn't let go of that dog for one minute.

We're here.

- [Willie] Here's the house right here.

My god, there's a lot of snow.

- [Junior] Yes there is.

- Goodness gracious.

212.

(soft music)

I was born in 1935 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

I was the youngest of 13 children.

(soft music)

There were two black families living on

the same street in Fredericton, the Lawrence family,

and the O'Ree family.

Most of my friends were white growing up

and to me, I was just another kid playing out

in the streets, playing street hockey or ice hockey

or whatever.

I was playing with all kinds of kids.

- My name is Louis George.

I'm from Fredericton.

I'm 88 years old.

- I'm Gus Mazzuca from Fredericton and I'm 78 years old.

- I know Willie back, years ago.

He lived about four blocks from us.

He used to come up to the house a lot.

- I've known him for about 70 years.

- [Louis] Yeah Willie was always a great friend

and he had a great sense of humor.

- He was a tremendous athlete and played

all kinds of sports.

- I always thought he would be a professional ball player.

He was one great second baseman.

I've watched him play rugby at the high school

and hockey with the Fredericton Caps and then he went

to the Quebec Aces.

- [Louis] Everybody loved Willie because he was

a real gentleman.

- I'm so happy to be friends of a star and a legend

in his own time and it makes me feel great.

- He should be proud he knows me.

(laughing)

(soft music)

- Willie's parents were two of the greatest people

you would ever meet.

- My mom was a housewife.

Her name was Rosebud Wright, her maiden name,

and she was well respected and well known in Fredericton.

She was a very caring mother.

- I mean I just think of all the things that Rosebud did.

She absolutely adored everything about Willie,

she really did.

She was such a nice person.

- My dad's name was Harry Douglas O'Ree.

He worked for the city of Fredericton for about 38 years

in the engineer department.

He was a good father.

He was always leaving little presets in the dining room

as we were growing up.

We had some great times here.

Curfews.

God, my mom and dad were set on curfews.

- I remember you'd get in and I'd come with a ladder

and get you out the window. (laughing)

(soft music)

The vast majority of people in Fredericton were

very good in dealing with race,

but there was a lot of people did say stuff

and that were not very pleasant to say the least.

- There was some prejudice in Fredericton.

The barber shops didn't have any black people

going in at that time.

There was the barber that lived on our street,

his name was Joel McQuaid.

I used to go and get my hair cut at Joel's home

and then one day I asked him, I said,

"You know, I wonder what would happen if I

"came into your barbershop to get a haircut."

He says, "If you want to, we can just wait

"and see what happens."

So I went in,

and I could see the other barbers looking around

and the other people that were waiting for haircuts

also looked at me and I think I took everybody by surprise

by just going in and that was the first time that,

you know, a black person had went into a

white barber shop and got their hair cut.

Then I used to go in and have Mr. McQuaid cut my hair

when I needed it.

At the time I didn't give it any thought, but,

apparently it did make a change in the policy.

- [David] So great to be back in the Cabin.

- [Willie] Yeah it is.

- Listen, Jen gave me two quarters so what would you

like to hear on the jukebox? (laughing)

- It's good to be home. - Yeah.

I first met Willie when I was 11 years old.

- My name is Brenda Sansom.

- I'm David Sansom, born and raised in

Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Willie O'Ree is a very, very special friend.

- My name is Bryant McBride.

I was the first black executive in the

National Hockey League.

(people chattering)

Willie's friendships are so long lasting

and they're so deep because he never forgot

where he was from and that comes back to him

over and over and over again.

- We're all hopin' that you get in.

- Thank you, thanks a lot.

Yeah.

- We thought to have Willie O'Ree go into the

Hockey Hall of Fame came about as a consequence

of the 60th anniversary.

Our local sports columnist Bill Hunt wrote a column,

why don't we have Willie O'Ree in

the Hockey Hall of Fame?

It's interesting to note that several people said,

well we thought he was.

Together with Bill, David and I found out how you

actually go about making a public submission.

We received letters of support from over 300 people

and told wonderful stories about why they thought

Willie should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

So what we have is a 76 page document

and this represents stories,

it represents the proclamation.

This represents a lot of pride for people who know

and love Willie O'Ree.

(soft music)

- The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is the

pinnacle of the game.

They select very few people, it's hard to get in.

You can get no higher in hockey than being

in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In late June, the people that are selected into the

Hall of Fame get a phone call and you know,

I just wanna be there.

- It has been so rewarding to learn about this man

and to know that so many people are so much behind

the efforts to get Willie O'Ree into the

Hockey Hall of Fame.

- I started skating when I was three

- I started skating when I was three

and started playing organized hockey when I was five.

I was a rink rat and I used to sometimes sleep over

at the York Arena and be able to get on the ice

very early in the morning.

When I was 14 and I set two goals for myself:

the first one was to play professional hockey,

the second one was to hopefully one day

play in the National Hockey League.

(announcer speaking in foreign language)

There were no black players playing in the NHL

when I grew up.

There were only six teams, it was called

the Original Six.

There were other black players playing professionally,

but none in the National Hockey League.

I'd watch Herb and Ozzy, Carnegie and Manny McIntyre

play together.

They were an all black line that played in Sherbrooke

and then they played with the Quebec Aces.

Herby was by far the better player.

He could have played in the National Hockey League

before I did.

He was that good.

(announcer speaking in foreign language)

I looked up to them and they just didn't get

the opportunity that I got.

(upbeat music)

(laughing)

- [Gus] Comb your hair.

(laughing) - Easy Gus.

- Okay. - Show me the money.

- [Gus] You didn't dress.

I thought you were gonna get dressed up.

(upbeat music)

Willie is very competitive, right?

- Yeah. - Yep.

- He loved to play cards, Auction 45s.

- Whenever he comes, there's always a card game,

whether one or every night,

and that's what he lives for. (upbeat music)

My biggest hope is that he does make it

into the Hall of Fame

and continues to live on for a few more years.

- I think Willie is very tight lipped about all

the turmoil and unkind things that have happened to him

over the course of his life.

We got a little snippet of it in his journey down south

to baseball camp with Atlanta.

- Willie did get the opportunity to go to the south

to try out for baseball.

He was an excellent ball player.

- I played about eight different sports growing up

but the two that I really fell in love with

was hockey and baseball.

In 1956 I was scouted by two scouts to go down

to Waycross, Georgia to try out for the Milwaukee Braves

minor league operations.

- That's when he got his first exposure to,

to what was going on down south.

The white only restaurants, the white only hotels.

He was pretty well immune from that living in Fredericton.

- I talked to my parents and my parents didn't

want me to go.

They probably thought that I would get killed because

of the way that blacks were treated in the south.

(soft music)

- The American south was the part of the country where

segregation by law was prominent,

commonly known as Jim Crow.

In many southern states, everything was segregated.

So a big part of what made segregation in the

American south work was the constant threat of violence.

The Emmett Till death in 1955 was a clear reminder

of the dangers of a young man visiting

a small southern town.

He went to a store, was accused of speaking in a

disrespectful way, whistling, at the store owner's wife,

and for that he ended up dead. (melancholy music)

His mother had the funeral in Chicago,

and demanded an open casket funeral so that they world

could see what the south had done to her child.

People lined the streets to see his body

and many people have said that it was one of the

underlying contributors to the beginnings of

the Civil Rights Movement.

So it makes a lot of sense why parents would

be wary of sending their child to an American

southern city in the mid-1950s.

- I talked to my older brother, Richard,

and he said, "Well how do you feel?

"Do you feel like you'd like to go down

"and get the experience?"

I said, "Yeah, some parts of me wants to go

"and some parts don't."

But I decided that I was going to go.

I flew into Atlanta, walked into the terminal,

and the first thing I recognized was the restroom said

white only and colored only.

Arrived at the training camp,

was issued a dorm with six or seven other players of color.

Started practicing, and I heard racial remarks

and racial slurs from some of the white players

but it didn't bother me.

I just wanted to concentrate on playing.

Going into the latter part of my second week

I was notified that I was going to be sent home.

I gave the feeling that I was kind of sad

because of being cut, but I was happy to be going back home.

Blacks had to ride in the back of the bus

so I got on the bus, sat in the back.

You know, living in Canada, blacks could sit

anywheres on the bus and restaurants and so on

and so forth, but, it was just a different world

and I didn't want any part of it.

I was five days on the bus.

- Willie told me that he was coming back

from down south.

As they got farther north, he was allowed to move up

in the bus.

- When I got to Fredericton I was sitting in the front,

and then stepped off the bus, I said,

"Willie, forget about baseball.

"Concentrate on hockey."

- I don't think that he had the mind that he was

gonna be the first black player in the NHL.

He just wanted to make the NHL.

- Oh yeah. - Yep.

- I played with the Quebec Aces in 1956

when I turned pro.

I went to the Bruins training camp in 1957 and 1958,

and then on January 18th, 1958,

the Bruins contacted the Quebec Aces and says,

"We want O'Ree to meet the Bruins in Montreal

"to play two games against the Montreal Canadians."

- I was at home and Willie's brother called me

and told me that Willie's being called up.

I could not believe that finally he was gonna get his shot

at the National Hockey League.

- When Willie was called up to the NHL,

we read about it in the papers and we heard about it

the next day on the radio.

- You know, I was with his mother a day or so after

and it was just like something we couldn't even imagine.

- My parents came up from Fredericton.

Some of my close friends came up and

I can remember just like it was yesterday,

getting on the train, going up to Montreal,

and playing in the old Montreal Forum.

- [Announcer] O'Ree taking up his position.

- And then when I stepped on the ice on January 18, 1958,

became the first black player to play in

the National Hockey League.

- [Announcer] And Boston with O'Ree down the ice.

- [Interviewer] In terms of this business of being

the Jackie Robinson of hockey,

have you had any troubles?

- No, none that you could say that were troubles.

I've heard a few jeers like that but

I guess all hockey players get it.

It wasn't a game that went by that

there wasn't racial remarks directed towards me

by players, fans, but again, I didn't let it bother me

and I didn't let it get away from my game.

I had set my goal that I was going to play

in the National Hockey League.

As a black man, I had to stay focused.

(birds chirping) (soft music)

- Hockey provides an opportunity for kids to

overcome all different kinds of challenges.

There's many players of different backgrounds.

My boys, all three play.

They all love the game.

But on a few different occasions,

my sons were subjected to racial slurs.

- We are of Acadian, Jamaican, and Chinese descent.

Acadian coming from my father, and Chinese and Jamaican

coming from my mother.

- [Scott] It happened to Taylor first

and he was 12 years old.

- Somebody made a racial remark to me

and I didn't know how to take it.

At the time I was really, I'd never heard

it before, honestly.

- A few days later, through mutual friends,

Willie O'Ree became aware of the situation.

- I know it's hard for these kids because, you know,

I know what I went through.

But it's a lot tougher now with the way society is now.

It's just hard to see young boys and girls

come off the ice crying because of racial slurs.

When I get the chance to talk to these boys

and girls on the ice or by a phone or even in person,

I just try and tell them that names will never hurt you

unless you let them.

Just play hockey, play your game, and don't worry

about anything else, because it's gonna take a lot

of time before people just look at a person

for who they are.

- Willie found out and he called me a few days later,

I was actually in school, and he just talked to me

and asked me a few questions about what happened,

how did it make you feel.

When he called us, I was kind of like, "Whoa.

"It's Willie, I'm talking to Willie O'Ree,

"this is pretty cool."

It wasn't just because he had to call us,

he wanted to call us and he wanted to help us

with this situation.

- And then there was also an incident like

two weeks ago where someone told me to go back to Mexico,

which I don't really know.

But later that game, it ended up being a tie, three-three

after the third period and in the OT,

I ended up scoring the OT winner.

- It just goes to show, like, you can respond to that

from your actions and not words, I guess, on the ice.

Not actions by slashing 'em, but actions like scoring or

making a good play and stuff like that.

- Willie's legacy is important to celebrate right now

because we live in a society now where very rapidly

it's become acceptable to be unkind

and I think it's very important that we honor

somebody like Willie, 'cause Willie is the

complete opposite.

He is very kind and he has helped my boys

to become kinder people.

- [Taylor] There is a big push to get Willie into

the Hall of Fame and I think he really deserves

to be there because he has done a lot for hockey.

- There I am, right there.

With the Bruins uniform on.

And here I am here.

This had to be the 1953 team.

I think I was 18.

That's my brother, Richard.

His nickname was Coop.

He's the one that taught me a lot about hockey

and 21 years I played pro, I had to credit my brother

for all the things that he had taught me.

It was older brother who was my mentor.

He loved the game of hockey.

He was always over at the rink watching me play.

He taught me so many things that I needed to know.

Sometimes in practice, he would check me so hard,

tears would come to my eyes, but he always said that,

"You'll be hit a lot harder than this if you get

"into the pro ranks," and he was right.

I went up in the stands a couple of times,

but it, uh,

I always tried to keep it on the ice, you know, but,

there was some incidents that you had to just show

them that hey, you're not gonna take this

type of abuse.

- [Announcer] O'Ree passes right in front of the net.

- In 1961, I was playing against the Chicago Blawkhawks

and this player comes and gives me a two hander

across the ankles and he made a couple racial remarks.

Comes out from my blindside and I can't see him,

and he holds about six inches out of his stick and he

butt ends me in the mouth, splits my nose, splits my lip,

knocks my two front teeth out.

He just stood there and laughed.

All the benches emptied.

We were both thrown out of the game.

I went in the dressing room and after they stitched me up,

I wanted to at least come back and sit on

the bench with the players, but the fans were so irate

that there could be bodily harm to me, so,

I remained in the dressing room.

(tense music)

I meditated for a few minutes.

Do I really wanna continue playing

and go through this abuse every game?

But then I told myself that if I leave the league,

I'm gonna leave it because I don't have the skills

and the ability to play anymore.

I'm not gonna leave it because the racism

and the prejudice and the bigotry and the ignorance

of not only players on the opposition

but fans in the stands.

- [Melissa] Immediately, that encounter changes from,

this is just a game, to this is a racial incident.

Crowds suspend their interest in the team

and it immediately becomes a referendum on civil equality.

It exemplifies what was going on in the early 1960s

which was that it was the beginning of the

Civil Rights Movement.

Blacks were beginning to demand equality of treatment

and whites were unprepared to give it.

- Well I don't know what will happen now,

but it really didn't matter with me now,

because I've been to the mountain top.

- Dr. Martin Luther King said that don't judge a

person by the color of their skin,

but the content of their character

and there's a lot of truth to that.

The names will never hurt you unless you let them.

- The ending of segregation in all forms

of American life, whether it be in education,

in jobs, in sports, whatever the barrier that was broken,

for those who first walked through those doors,

they bore a tremendous burden.

They had to do battle with all those who were not

comfortable with it.

They dealt with more than many people realized,

which was the day-to-day burden of shouldering

being the first, and that's probably a story

that's not well understood.

- [Announcer] Number 22 comes down the right wing,

on a pass from...

- Part of the learning from generation to generation is

how to do it in a particular circumstances

of these United States.

Slaves told their children, who were born into freedom,

a bit about their experience.

Each generation gives a bit of knowledge to the next

and it typically has to do with survival.

- I don't know too much about my great-great-grandparents.

I had a family member named Paris who was

a runaway slave living in South Carolina.

- Okay.

Okay, so yeah, so there's an enslaved person by the

name of Paris.

He's listed his age, 19.

Place of origin, it says Charleston, South Carolina.

It says he ran away circa 1779,

so that would have been right in the middle

of the Revolutionary War.

I think maybe as many as three to 5,000

slaves in South Carolina escaped the British occupied

Charleston in 1780.

When the British left Charleston is 1783,

they took a number of formerly enslaved people with them,

in this case, to Canada.

(bluegrass music)

Our ancestors, they created us,

they created the world in which we live,

and when you start to do research on them,

you sort of quickly discover that they had to be

very smart, they had to be very strong in order for us

to be here today, and that's particularly true if

your ancestors were enslaved.

And in many cases, our ancestors, they made great

sacrifices in order for us to have a better life

than what they did. (bluegrass music)

The main function I think we do here at the

South Carolina Department of Archives and History,

we are the long term memory of people who lived here

and for government in South Carolina.

(soft, melancholy music)

Just like a person can't function well without

a long term memory, a society, a government, a people,

cannot function well without a long term memory.

Beause if you're an individual and you don't have

a long term memory and you're an adult,

you're probably gonna lose your freedom.

(soft, melancholy music)

We were looking for information about a runaway slave

named Paris who left in 1779.

We started looking at various O'Ree records

that we've got here.

If your ancestors were enslaved, you have to pick up

information about the enslaved person under the records

of the slave owner where enslaved people are

mentioned by name.

- During slavery, there were two schedules in the census,

a free population census, and the slave population census.

So the point was not to recognize humanity.

The point was simply to register that you had these

persons in your possession, in much the same way that

you would think about registering your cows and sheep.

- And we find the deed of gift here between

Elias O'Ree and his son, it says, "My son James O'Ree."

And as they list the enslaved people, it says,

"Dublin and his wife, Bess, and her children Paris,

"Harriet, Harry, and Lucy."

So this is the evidence that we picked up that

this colonel, Elias O'Ree, had an enslaved child

by the name of Paris that he gave to his son, James,

in 1769.

The O'Rees were quite prominent in South Carolina from

the 1680s, on.

The H-O-R-R-Y, as far as I know,

has always been pronounced "o-ree" in South Carolina.

Sometimes in the government offices, the clerks would

spell a name like it sounded to them

and so it wouldn't surprise me at all if you came across

some Horry documents that were spelled O-R-R-Y,

or O-R-R-E instead of H-O-R-R-Y.

It's quite common during that time period.

¶ Sometimes I feel like a motherless child ¶

¶ Sometimes I feel like a motherless child ¶

I would imagine that Paris O'Ree saw this time period

during the Revolution when, in a lot of cases,

things were in chaos in South Carolina.

This was his chance to get out of South Carolina

and to get free and so he did whatever he could

so that he could be free and his descendants could be free.

¶ Oh my god, and lord ¶

- [Announcer] O'Ree, down the ice.

O'Ree trying to get a shot in.

- I played professional hockey for 21 years

and when I retired I was 45 years old.

During my 21 years professional career,

I had to work harder because I was black,

I had to show the coaches and the manager that I was

a better player than some of the white players

and basically, I was.

I played with the Bruins in 1960 and 61.

- [Announcer] All eyes are on the familiar number nine,

the fabulous (speaks in foreign language).

- I played against the Rocket, I played against Gordie Howe,

some of the other superstars that were playing

in the National Hockey League at the time that I was.

- [Announcer] Boston fights back.

- And then I was traded to the Montreal Canadians,

but I never played with them.

In November of 1961, I was traded to the Los Angeles Blades

of the Western Hockey League and played with the Blades

for six years until 1967.

The San Diego Gulls acquired my contract and I came down

to San Diego in 1967.

Played eight years with the pro team there.

I led the league twice in the Western Hockey League

and then retired in 1980.

(soft music)

(birds chirping)

After I retired, I had numerous jobs.

I worked construction, I sold cars,

I was the manager of three Jack in the Boxes,

and then I got into the private security business

for a number of years.

But, I always told myself I was going to get

back into hockey in some capacity.

I didn't know what, but I knew I was gonna get back

into the NHL.

- Hey. - Hey.

What's happening, huh?

- Good. - Good to see ya.

- I got here. - Yeah, good.

- You doin' good, you doin' well?

- Yeah come in. - You look great.

- [Willie] Come on in.

- [Deljeet] Welcome.

- [Bryant] Hello Del, how are you?

- Yeah, come in. - Who's this?

- [Deljeet] This is Chance.

- [Bryant] Hey Chance, how are ya?

- Oh, by the way, I pulled a picture out

and I think you're gonna like it.

- Oh.

- Brings back some good memories.

- Wow, look at that one.

I mean that's not long after we started.

- In 1996 Lou Vairo from USA Hockey,

and Bryant McBride who was at that time

the newly appointed vice president of the

NHL's Diversity Program, called me.

So that's how it all started.

- And there he is.

We were at that game.

He's inspired a generation of hockey players.

My name is Lou Vairo and I'm an employee of USA Hockey.

It's been my passion my entire life.

1961 I saw Willie O'Ree score a goal at

Madison Square Garden for the Boston Bruins.

Didn't make me happy, 'cause I was a Ranger fan, but,

I sure was surprised to see an African Canadian

playing the game.

- When people think about hockey,

they see a very white sport, largely played by

white-privileged people.

Being one of very few black hockey players growing up,

I never, ever played with a teammate of color.

I had to do something.

I had to reach out to a community that wasn't getting

access to the game.

So as a result, I started the Diversity Task Force

in hockey with my friend at USA Hockey, Lou Vairo.

And Lou, you know, really brilliantly brought up,

"We should find Willie O'Ree."

- I was always fascinated by him because I knew

everything he did had to take great courage.

Willie is a hero, he's a hockey hero.

- This is pre-Google, so I asked a friend of mine

at the FBI, "Hey can you help me find this guy?"

And he did.

Did I ever tell you how I found you by the way?

- [Willie] No.

- [Bryant] A buddy of mine who worked for the--

- You wanna take Texas? - We're gonna take Texas?

Okay.

A buddy of mine who worked for the FBI.

- Is that right? - Yeah.

I said, "Listen, I'm trying to find Willie O'Ree,"

and he knew who you were and he goes,

"I remember Willie O'Ree."

He was a big hockey fan and,

and he goes, "Give me a day, give me a day,"

and he called me back and he goes,

"He works at the Hotel del Coronado,"

and I was like, "Really?

"Oh great."

So that's how it happened. - Oh.

- [Bryant] Isn't that funny?

- [Willie] I guess when they wanna find you, they find you.

- They'll find you. - They can find ya.

- They found ya. (laughs)

And I called Willie and he was a little bit suspect

and he goes, "Who are you and what do you want?"

- [Willie] At that time, I was working at the

Hotel del Coronado in their security department

and Bryant said, "Well tight are you in working there?"

I said, "Well I need to do is give them

"two weeks notice."

- The hockey world had forgotten about him

and what he was doing, he had a young family

that he was feeding.

And it wasn't oh gee, oh woe is me.

There's not a bitter bone in his body.

He was just so happy to be thought of, you know,

that the NHL would call him and wanna speak with him

to help kids in any way.

He said, "Sure, how do I help?"

- Keep your head up here, go into the cones here,

head up, do you see my head up?

I've been traveling across North America

and then I go to numerous schools.

That's the way, right there, now.

Good pass.

Boys and Girls Clubs, YM, YWCAs,

juvenile detention facilities, any place where there's

boys and girls that I can encourage them and let them know

that there is another sport.

Hockey is for everyone and I've been doing it now

for 21 years.

(subway tracks rattling)

(rock music)

- I grew up here in Harlem.

I guess my childhood was kind of uncanny, but like,

similar to every other kid.

I remember just playing with a lot of the boys

and one of them was playing hockey and

being such a tomboy as a kid I was just like,

"Dad, I wanna do this."

I knew on the ice was where I needed to be.

(rock music)

My name is Sydney Kinder, I am from Harlem, New York,

and I coach youth hockey.

I don't know a lot of women of color

that play play hockey.

We're few and far between, so it's always a nice

and friendly face when you do see someone of color

playing your sport.

Ice Hockey in Harlem is a not for profit program located

in Harlem and it's really just getting inner city kids

to play such an unfamiliar sport to Harlem.

I think I was about seven or so when I joined the program.

Hockey is just so predominantly for more privileged people

in terms of the access to the gear and the ice

that kids will never really know that this could be

something they wanna do, so Ice Hockey in Harlem

bridges that gap for them and it bridged that gap for me.

I aged out of Ice Hockey in Harlem and became the

first person to play college hockey from it.

- We already know in 1958 Willie O'Ree

broke the color barrier.

First black Canadian to play in the NHL.

- I learned about Willie when I was 10 or 12.

- He first went to the Boston Bruins but then

he went to the Montreal Canadians.

- Ice Hockey in Harlem they have on ice practice

and then you have these in class lessons where you

just learn the history of hockey.

- [Instructor] Who remembers where Willie O'Ree was born?

- I think in being the first person of color

to do a lot of things, you're faced with

a lot of negativity.

- [Announcer] There is the man who broke the

color barrier in the National Hockey League

50 years ago.

- A couple years back, I remember dropping the puck

for a Willie O'Ree event.

It was kind of like awe-inspiring that he's still

giving back and like, I was able to do this with him

and that's gonna be ingrained in my head.

I do know there's an effort to get Willie

into the Hockey Hall of Fame,

I am a little frustrated that he hasn't been in it yet

just 'cause of all the work that he's done.

I just think it's so long overdue.

Trying to think of what he went through and the things

that he had to hold his chin up to

and kind of power through.

To think of kind of the prejudice people would

give someone who just wants to play a sport.

Life just shouldn't have been that unfair,

or that

ugly.

Segregation is not as long ago as people think.

It's not just a chapter in a history book.

It's still present.

One of the first games I played when I transferred

to a school up north, someone called me

an N-word on the ice and it was so shocking to me,

I lost it.

And like, that's then another, how do you react?

Then do you go with class or do you wanna fight back

and then, you're just caught between a rock

and a hard place.

It's really hard kind of being a black woman

in a white, male-dominated sport because no one truly

respects you until you can prove it.

And then you're always earning someone's respect

and gratitude where if I was a white male, it'd be given.

My mom being another black woman, she always just told me,

"Don't let them get to you.

"Do you."

And I did me, and it got me to college, so, it worked out.

- Come on.

- That's what I learned in all my interactions with Willie.

This man has done so much for the sport and look at

any person of color who's in the NHL.

Willie was the stepping stone for everyone to prosper,

because representation is so important.

(acoustic music)

- Okay.

Let's see.

That does it.

30, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

These are for tonight, for the Ice Hockey in Harlem kids

and then I just signed a few extras just in case

they need them.

(humming)

My first acquaintance with the Ice Hockey in Harlem program

was in 1997.

I attended and put on hockey clinics in Central Park,

they were outdoor rinks.

At that time, we worked with probably 30, 35 kids of color

and there was the interest there, I could tell

because the kids come out and wanted to play.

I had been coming back during the years and seeing

the program grow.

When they said Ice Hockey in Harlem, I could always relate

to coming there and working with the kids on the ice

and just lettin' 'em know that, you know,

there's another sport that you can play.

(people chattering) (soft orchestral music)

- What's up, Derek?

What's happenin'?

(people chattering)

Hi. - Hi, how are you?

- Good, how are you?

- How are you doing in school?

You keepin' your grades up? - Yeah, I graduated.

Willie, I'm old now, I'm gettin' up there.

- Oh good, good, congratulations.

- Thanks for coming, thanks for being here.

- My pleasure, it's good to be back in Harlem.

- I don't think they realized the impact

of this night until, you know, you get on stage

and they get out of here, you know?

- [Willie] I know.

- Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

- You're welcome.

(people chattering)

- When Willie joined us, he was 63 years old.

Many people that age probably were thinking

of retirement.

He is the youngest 80-plus year old I've ever met,

and I hope we had something to do with keeping him young.

- We had an awesome season this year.

We had 243 students participate in our programs.

(applause) (cheering)

- [Man] Most improved this year, Isabel Gritto.

- [Coach] Lexington Kane.

Brandon Jimenez.

The individual awards for learn to skate.

- [Woman] Gioman, Sekeda Paulino.

- [Man] Gatora Lampert.

- [Woman] Gibril Sesin.

- [Man] And Shane Patheo.

Congrats to everybody on that.

(inspirational orchestral music)

- Please join me in giving a hearty Harlem welcome

to our guest speaker, hero, and role model,

Mr. Willie O'Ree.

(applause) (cheering)

- Oh my.

Can't you feel the electricity in this room?

I know I can. (applause)

When I was 14 years of age, I decided I wanted to

become a professional hockey player.

But it was hard.

Setting goals for yourself seems to be easy,

but when you work towards your goals and you wanna

make things happen, it takes hard work.

And that's the one thing I did.

I worked hard as I was growing up and I worked hard

because I knew if I wanted to play hockey

and play professional, I had to be better than

some of the white players.

There wasn't a day that went by when I played

that I didn't have racial remarks and racial slurs

directed towards me, but I overlooked that.

I just let it went in one ear and out the other.

You know, you have to believe in yourself.

You have to set goals for yourself and don't let anybody

tell you you can't attain your goal.

If you feel strongly within your heart, within your mind,

those are the things you can overcome.

(applause)

- There's lots of kids and adults who in and around

this country that never played baseball,

don't watch baseball, and everyone would be

able to tell you who Jackie Robinson is,

and I think Willie deserves that same reality and legacy.

- Thanks again. (applause)

(soft piano music)

- Willie's legacy is much bigger than hockey.

There's only one of the first, and Willie was the first

and his story is amazing and you can't take that

from someone, being the first.

My name is Paul Jackman.

I am born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York.

The first time I met Willie O'Ree,

it was 1997 and the NHL was just starting their

NHL Diversity Program and Bryant McBride had

contacted us and asked us to become a

charter member of the organization, which we did.

- You get excited out there when you see these

kids out there doing their thing.

- Willie had come on board as the program director

for youth hockey.

My program was the very first NHL diversity program

that Willie ever visited.

We use hockey as the hook to get the kids

off the streets and we're not looking to make

great hockey players.

If that happens, terrific.

But we're looking to make great citizens and kids

that have respect for the lives and property of others.

I've known Willie for a little over 20 years now.

We've traveled to all star games,

we've traveled to different programs around the country

and around Canada and um, it's one of the great joys

in my life that he introduces me as his friend.

- Good job, that's the way.

- When I was at the National Hockey League

overseeing the diversity efforts there,

we had a program called the Willie O'Ree All Star Game

where we used to bring boys and girls

to an NHL city and treat them like NHL players

for a weekend.

- Welcome to the fourth annual Willie O'Ree

All Star Weekend here at the MCI Center in Washington, DC,

the home of the Washington Capitals.

For this weekend, young people from all over

North America have traveled here to celebrate

the coolest game on earth, and its diverse young fans.

- We had a Willie O'Ree Weekend in Washington, DC.

- They're here for a weekend of hockey

and I'm just here to take part in it

and just have a fun time.

- Prior to him arriving in Washington, DC,

he received a threatening letter from a

white supremacist group. (tense music)

- I thought it was a fan letter.

I opened it up and once I read it, I called the NHL.

- It was eye opening, it was eye opening.

You look back at it and you just can't believe,

when you're reading and looking at something like that,

you just can't believe it's real.

- I could barely speak, I was in utter disbelief

as to the content of the letter, thanking him for all

that he's done for his community and for minorities,

but the letter went on to read that when

they blow up the arena, that the blood of the kids will

be on his head.

- Apparently they got the FBI involved in it.

- The NHL contacted the authorities and they did

whatever they did to look into it and protect him

and protect the kids for the weekend.

- And I just had to ensure that everyone was safe.

And I remember some of the coaches,

particularly the white coaches, were aghast and were

just horrified by everything and not quite sure what to do

but Willie in that room said, "We've got to persevere

"and get through this."

And looking back on it, and Willie serving as a catalyst

in that room to kind of snap everybody in,

that's what he's had to do.

He had to do that, that was a muscle that he had

developed over a long period of time in retrospect,

and I'm sure he still uses it today.

- I didn't hear anymore until I got the second letter.

The letter said that we know where you next visit

is going to be and we have enough explosives to

blow up the entire building and so on and so forth

and again I sent that one to the New York office, also,

and I was more concerned about the kids

than actually myself.

I didn't want these kids to be skating in the building.

Congratulations.

- Thank you. - Congratulations, Henry.

Good job.

- Why would somebody do this?

Why would they take the time to target, you know,

this gentleman who's helping people, and children?

It was startling.

- Come on gang, we can win this game,

we can win this game now, we've got to put a little

more effort into it.

- He's been battling this since the 50s and other people

have been battling it since the beginning of time

and unfortunately, racism is alive and well

and hatred it alive and well and unfortunately,

will probably be here for the near future.

It just seems surreal that in such a day and age

that those things were still happening.

- [Jim] Four fans at the Chicago Blackhawks game

were ejected last night for yelling racially charged

chants at a black player at the visiting

Washington Capitals.

- [News Reporter] Jim, good evening, and those fans were

immediately ejected from the United Center.

Today the Chicago Blackhawks coming out

and apologizing to that Washington Capitals player

but it was an ugly event that has no play in hockey,

or in society.

- [Man] He held it off, then he goes over to the glass.

They were escorted out of the arena,

getting involved with Smith-Pelly and players

in the penalty box.

- Five,

four,

three,

two,

one. (whistle blows)

- I am Devante Smith-Pelly from Toronto, Ontario.

I grew up working out and playing with a lot of

players of color and being from here, that was always

just normal for me.

Earlier in the season, playing the Blackhawks,

a couple of fans were you know, yelling,

"You should go play basketball," and,

"What are you doing playing hockey?"

- I remember going back and watching the video

of what happened and him standing up

and saying something back and you know,

to go through something like that, you know, it's tough

and I think, you know especially when you're a black

hockey player, you don't have very many faces on

your team to look to.

- I definitely, throughout my career,

have been subjected to both racial and gender slurs.

You know, I think the second that it came out,

most people realized that tat absolutely wasn't okay

and not something that was acceptable for them to say or do

in a space that's supposed to be safe for everyone.

- Everyone was very supportive and had my back, so,

I mean obviously it makes you feel good that

the league that you're playing in and the people that

you're working with everyday aren't gonna stand for that.

- No, it was just a shame.

It's 2018 now, so I had gone through my incident in 2011

and you know, you think from Willie O'Ree, to me,

now to Devante and everyone else in between,

you know, you'd think we would have sacrificed enough

that this would have stopped by now.

- Willie O'Ree's the reason why, you know,

there's 30, 40 minority black hockey players

in the league right now.

- I, like many other people, I think I already thought

that he was in the Hall of Fame.

- You know, the stuff he went through,

you know honestly, I couldn't imagine 'cause I know

what I've gone through and you know,

he made the game a better place for everyone.

- I was the first overall pick in the 2016 NWHL draft.

I play for the Metropolitan Riveters.

I'm a defense man and this past year,

we won the 2018 Isobel Cup Championship.

(inspirational music)

- [Announcer] Score!

- In 2018 we won the Stanley Cup

and in the finals I scored the game tying goal,

obviously the biggest goal of my life.

(applause)

(inspirational music)

Race is a big topic.

Yeah, I just had to speak up and let people know that,

you know, I don't stand for that.

- Hm.

Oh, this is my mom, Rosebud, in San Diego when she

came to visit.

I miss her all the time, thinking about her, yeah.

She would've been so proud of the work that

I've been doing and my hockey career.

She was always afraid of me getting hurt.

Sometimes I have to hold the pictures up

a little close because I have a problem seeing.

It goes way back to when I was playing junior in 1955.

I was struck in the eye with a puck.

I never told my mom and dad that I was blind

'cause I knew that they would worry and they would probably

want me to stop playing, so I didn't tell them.

- I was on the ice the day that Willie lost his eye.

This is the photo of our team that year and in the back

row here, number seven, that is Willie O'Ree there.

That would be taken before the eye injury happened and

there's a number of players.

Myself, I'm the little baby guy here, the number 16.

As far as what happened, it was an injury.

You know, we didn't wear helmets in those days

and head injuries were quite common.

He went down like any player would go down and

he was taken off the ice and didn't play

the rest of the game, so, it was a hockey injury that

didn't really surface itself in how serious it was

until later.

- The impact of the puck completely shattered the retina

and that's the part that you see through and I was

laying in my hospital bed,

and the doctor told me I'd never play hockey again.

But, I got out of the hospital and started back skating

within three weeks.

The only difference I felt about myself is that

I just couldn't see out of my right eye.

When I made the NHL, I was totally blind in my right eye.

I kept it a secret.

The only person I told was my younger sister Betty,

and I swore her to secrecy because I told her

if anybody found out that I was blind in my right eye,

I would definitely not play professional hockey so,

I kept it a secret all those years and my sister Betty

also kept it a secret.

- [Announcer] O'Ree goes down over the left flank,

takes his shot... - I don't know how anybody

could play with one eye.

I played with a lot of guys who weren't very good

who had two eyes (laughing) and there was nights

that I was really bad and I had two eyes.

I'm not trying to be funny, but that's a fact.

I can't imagine Jackie Robinson making Major League Baseball

with one eye.

It just probably wouldn't have happened.

- As close as we were, I never knew

that his eye was that bad.

He never told anyone about that,

he was so closed mouth 'cause I know that it would

have meant that he would never have a shot in the NHL.

- I sometimes think about the courage it must have taken

Willie O'Ree to keep fighting for his dream

after he lost one eye.

- I think by hiding it, he salvaged a lengthy career.

- I don't know how anybody could proceed

with one eye, not being able to see to the side

that he needed to see to take passes and make players.

It was something to do with his attitude and drive

and willing to succeed that made him carry on

and somehow make the NHL with all of those

things against him.

- Trying to walk around with just eye,

trying to drive a car with just one eye,

it's not that easy, you have to really work on it

and do it, but that's what Willie did because I think

what he had for him was his skating and he was so fast,

they couldn't catch him.

- I don't think that's games changed a bit

after the injury.

There was a goal that he was wanting to achieve,

he set the goal,

he made the goal.

- When you think about his story,

to be the first black player in the 50s

while you're blind in one eye and nobody knew it,

the fact that he was able to play professional hockey

for more than two decades.

If there's every a story that cries out to say,

if you have a dream, just work at it

and you can accomplish anything

which I think is something he says all time.

He is truly a marvel to behold.

(bird chirping)

(television blaring)

- It's eight o'clock here in San Diego, so a few hours,

should get word whether I'm gonna be in the

Hall of Fame or not, so I've got my fingers crossed and

just waiting and excited.

I got butterflies and you know, if it happens, it happens.

If not this year, possibly next year.

- So um, you don't know if they're gonna call you

on your cell phone, or? (Willie mumbles)

(soft music)

It's a phone.

Lined up.

- I'm really excited that he has this opportunity.

I'm just happy that if it does happen that he's still

around to really enjoy it. - Yeah.

- Yeah, it'll be wonderful if he ends up

getting this Hall of Fame honor, that'll be great.

How about you Chancey?

(laughing)

- We got more orange juice, Bryant.

- Oh okay, thank you. - Yeah hold on.

- [Bryant] There's another prediction coming in.

- [Willie] Oh?

- They're coming in fast and furious.

So this one, this one is from, thanks Willie.

From Sportsnet. - Oh shit, I'm so nervous.

- [Bryant] It's all right, you got it?

- Yeah let me get that.

- I'll clean that up. - Yeah.

- The way the Hall of Fame process works,

as I understand it, is that the Hall of Fame

committee meets, they get a lot of nominations.

They consider them all, and they vote,

and then they let the inductees know that

they've been selected.

Okay so this is what Sportsnet is saying,

"Five players who would enter the hall.

"Willie should have been named in the Hall of Fame

"years ago and now it's time for him to finally get in."

Good start. (laughing)

"First black player in the NHL.

"O'Ree's contributions to hockey on and off the ice

"can't be matched by many."

(gentle music)

- There, Ozzy.

Are we ready?

Sure.

Yeah, we got people comin', this is an exciting day.

Yes it is.

Today we find out.

The cookies are cooked, the people are coming

to our house.

Now it's just a question of waiting for the phone to ring,

and today Willie's gonna get into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Oh.

There's things that you can do for yourself,

and then there's things that you can make happen

for other people.

If we will have been able to get Willie O'Ree

into the Hockey Hall of Fame, that's one of the best things

we will have ever been made to have happen,

that's how I see it.

- It's been an uphill journey for Willie, all his life,

no matter what he may tell you or show you.

And I can't put my body into a black man's shoes,

I just can't do that, and I know, I know it's worse

than what he projects, so,

this would be the icing on the cake.

Willie O'Ree is now 82 years old

and he's been so deserving for so long and he's,

he's proved himself many times over and for him to

be admitted into the Hockey Hall of Fame would be just,

that's when you're gonna see emotion.

Yeah.

(tense music)

- [Bryant] If it's past three o'clock, then I'm worried.

Not yet.

(phone ringing)

- Which one is it?

(phone ringing)

Good morning, Nerva.

(laughs) How are you?

We're just, we're just anxiously awaiting a call.

- [Bryant] We'll call you back.

- We'll call you back. (laughing)

All right.

Thanks, buh-bye.

Nerva, from the NHL.

- [Bryant] Okay, when's this happen?

Can't take too much more of this.

- 20 past one.

Got one more hour.

(doorbell rings)

Come on in, we're having a party.

- It looks great, entrez-vous.

- Good to see you.

Come on in.

- [Man] Nice to be here, thank you, thank you.

- Glad you could make it. - Oh thank you Brenda.

- See, I wanted everybody here in case

the call came in early.

(people chattering)

- I hope for sure that he gets into the Hall of Fame.

He deserves it

because there's nobody in there that's gonna have

more love of the game than he did.

And I hope the thing he started with the

National Hockey League continues and grows

because there's so much hate in the world

in so many ways, that the more he does to help that,

would just be great.

- Hey Chancey.

The day's going by too slow.

Get the toy.

Bring it.

Bring it here.

Good girl. (tense music)

Oh, just trying to take my mind off of it.

Off of the day.

This is my office here in my home, and,

I just felt like I didn't have any other place

to put some of my trophies and memorabilia so

I started putting them up on the wall and

all of these have a connection to today,

and what today means to me as far as whether I get into

the Hockey Hall of Fame or not.

Every little plaque is a place that I've gone

and then these are just pictures of some of the guys.

There's Muhammad Ali when he was over

at the Hotel del.

I feel good when I come in and sit down 'cause it

brings back some wonderful memories of some of

the things I accomplished and some of the people

that I've met over the years.

Very rewarding.

There's Michael Jordan when he played in La Costa

at the Pro Am.

I was working for the security company and the four guards

walked around with him to make sure nobody bothered him.

And heres a picture of Jackie Robinson.

I just think it's important as a black player,

just I feel good about representing.

I consider myself blessed to have the opportunity

to be in the presence of so many wonderful people, so,

they're all meaningful.

- Here.

That's 11:11, make a wish.

- Oh, 11:11. - Always make a wish.

Make a wish.

(phone ringing) - Hope everything goes well.

- Phone, phone. - Oh, phone.

(phone ringing)

Oh my cell phone? (phone ringing)

Good afternoon.

Yes, sir?

(man chattering)

Hold, let me put you on speaker.

Oh, god.

Oh my goodness.

What wonderful news.

We've been just sitting, just patiently

pacing back and forth and, oh god.

I'm at a loss for words, honest to goodness gracious.

Thanks.

Oh, my goodness gracious.

(inspirational music)

Oh my goodness, Lenny, this has been a call that,

oh, just means so much to me.

Unbelievable.

(laughs)

Well my mom and dad lived to be in their 90s

and I'm 82, so there's still maybe a few years

that I'll be able to accomplish something.

Oh thank you so very, very much and my many, many thanks

and congratulations to the Hall of Fame committee.

I'm, I'm just so happy and so proud.

- [Lenny] All right.

- Thanks for the call.

(laughs)

Well? (laughing)

- [Talib] Well deserved.

- Bryant, you made it happen.

- [Bryant] No, you made it happen.

- [Willie] Oh my goodness.

(phone ringing)

- [Woman] Brenda!

- [Man] Brenda's out.

- [Woman] Your phone is ringin'.

(phone ringing)

- Hello.

- Brenda.

- Yes?

- Willie O'Ree .

- Willie, it's Willie O'Ree.

It's Willie O'Ree.

Hello Willie O'Ree.

It's Willie O'Ree.

Okay, Willie, how are you doing?

- I got a phone call.

- Yes?

- And...

- Willie? - Yes?

- [Brenda] Yes, how'd it go Willie?

- Well it's going pretty good.

I just wanted to let you know

that I'm going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

(laughing)

- Woo!

- [Willie] I just got the call a few minutes ago.

- Oh my god Willie, this is so wonderful.

Oh Willie! (laughs)

I don't know what to say.

- It's just so wonderful that everybody

has supported me and I just give my many, many thanks

to all my friends and family for the support.

(clapping)

- I don't know who's happier, him or you.

- Oh.

(clapping) (inspirational music)

- [Announcer] All of the eyes in the hockey world

are focused on Scotiabank Arena tonight...

(announcer drowned out)

(audience cheering) (tense music)

- [Willie] Now that I am in the Hall,

it's just a great feeling to know that the work that

I've done over the 20 years was worth it.

- Willie's story is so important at a time where

all of the hard work and the blood and the sweat

and the tears that have been spilled,

to benefit people like myself,

that can be lost in the blink of an eye.

He's a living example of what's possible.

- [Announcer] Tonight at Scotiabank Arena, we will welcome,

for the first time, the 2018 Hall of Fame induction class.

(applause) (cheering)

Inducted into the Builder Category of the 2018

Hockey Hall of Fame class, Willie O'Ree.

(cheering) (applause)

(inspirational orchestral music)

- [Deljeet] Are you nervous about tonight?

- [Willie] I'm just overwhelmed.

I know what I gotta do.

- [Deljeet] What is that?

- Do my speech.

They give you like a little podium.

Good evening.

At the age of 14, I had set two goals for myself:

play professional hockey, and one day, play in the NHL.

All I wanted was to be a hockey player.

All I needed was an opportunity.

To be here with you tonight is simply overwhelming.

There are no words to express how humble

and grateful I am to be part of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

I have spent 67 years of my life in hockey.

Now at the NHL's ambassador, I travel across

North America, introducing boys and girls

to the game I love.

Tonight, I am here to tell you, we are not done,

because the work is not done.

We have barriers to break, and knock down,

opportunities to give.

(applause)

Is that window up?

I feel cold air coming in here somewhere.

Yes, thank you. (laughs)

Fredericton blood gone.

I get cold when I open the fridge.

I have stand sideways, shoot.

(laughs)

Nice to see some snow, though, again.

(gentle music)

I'm back on the road in Ottawa, Canada.

I came to visit the prime minister and

I'm going to visit some boys and girls

this afternoon and I'm looking forward to it.

(gentle music)

- Hello Willie. - Oh my goodness.

Prime minster, how are you sir?

- Very well, what an honor to meet you.

- Well it's my honor. - No, no, no.

Thank you so much for being here today.

- You're welcome.

- [Justin] Did you play with a straight blade?

- Played with a straight blade until a little later on,

then we started to curve the blades a little bit,

but this was it, straight blade.

- [Justin] Well could I get you to sign this for me?

- Certainly.

It'd be my pleasure.

Here, or here would be great?

- Well right now here I think. - Okay.

And uh, would you like prime minister, or?

- Justin. - Justin?

- We're friends here. - Okay.

(gentle music) (cameras clicking)

- Thank you so much. - Oh you're welcome.

You're welcome.

- Let me just put this here, there we go. (laughs)

- Oh.

I don't have any thought of retiring right

at this present time.

Maybe a couple of years down the road, but,

I am going to continue my work with the

hockey's program, visiting boys and girls

in schools and doing clinics also.

Be all that you can be, you know.

Feel good about yourself, like yourself.

If you go out there and practice, go 40%.

Don't expect 60 or 80%, expect 40%.

But if you go out and work as hard as you can,

you should pat yourself on the back.

So work hard, you know, every chance you're on the ice.

(gentle music)

(humming)

I'm the same Willie O'Ree that back in 1958,

when I broke the color barrier, that I am today in 2018.

A little wiser,

a little older,

but my values are the same.

My goodness.

(gentle music)

So this dates back to the 17th--

- This is in 1769 here.

So from what we know about Paris, he's listed here

with his parents.

So this really a remarkable record because it lists

not only his name, but his brothers and sisters, as well.

Paris, Harriet, Harry, and Lucy.

- Harry was my father's name.

You know, I never knew of my, you know,

my grandparents or any, uh, relatives.

It's amazing.

(soft acoustic music)

There's a lot of work to be done yet.

There's still a lot of boys and girls out there that

need the opportunity to play

and we've gotta give them that opportunity.

You never know, they may make history.

- One of the threads that connects Willie from the beginning

of his career, all the way through to what he does now,

is Willie always opens eyes.

(soft music)

If you were in the stands in 1958 watching

a black man play in the game, it was eye opening.

- [Announcer] O'Ree gets the puck and shoots,

and he just missed the left corner.

- Fast forward to his time working for the NHL,

and telling his story, then he started to

open young eyes.

- You go in there, you got your head up.

You got a goal.

That's what you have to do.

You still got time.

Beautiful play.

- As much as he's opened all of these eyes

over all of this time, and surprised people,

he's also opened hearts and he's also opened minds.

- [Announcer] Willie O'Ree.

- That's Willie's impact.

- [Announcer] It comes right to Simmonds.

Score! (cheering)

(applause) (cheering)

- [Man] Great save by Grant Fuhr.

- [Announcer] Subban.

(cheering)

- [Man] Terrific move by Iginla.

- He inspired lots of people and that's what got

us all here, to play hockey.

(soft, inspirational music)

(soft music)