Fredericton-born Willie O'Ree to receive U.S. Congressional Gold Medal

On the heels of the Boston Bruins retiring his number in a ceremony last month, Fredericton-born Willie O'Ree is moving on to the next honour: the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal.

The House passed a bill to bestow the honour on O'Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League, in a 426-0 vote on Jan. 19. The Senate approved the choice earlier, and President Joe Biden signed the bill this week.

Former recipients of the medal include George Washington, Rosa Parks, and the United States Capitol Police who protected the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

O'Ree, now 86 and living in California, played his first NHL game in 1958 against the Montreal Canadiens. He played 45 games for the Bruins over two seasons, scoring four goals and 10 assists.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, and at a ceremony last month, his jersey number, 22, became only the 12th number to be retired in Bruins history.  

'He was told by doctors to abandon his hockey career'

The Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act lists Congress's 14 reasons for honouring O'Ree, including that despite being blind in one eye and a victim of racism throughout his career, the winger persevered for 22 years, logging over 1,000 points. 

"While playing amateur hockey, Willie was struck in his right eye with a puck and lost his eyesight," the act says.

"He was told by doctors to abandon his hockey career; instead, never disclosing the extent of his injury, he pursued his dream of playing professional hockey."

The act also mentions O'Ree's role as a diversity ambassador in the NHL, his work with youth through the Hockey is for Everyone program, and his status as a member of the Order of Canada.

A date hasn't been announced for when O'Ree will receive the award. 

'We needed a dose of Willie O'Ree here'

The first thing Mike Quigley asked House speaker Nancy Pelosi after Congress passed the bill was when O'Ree's ceremony would take place. 

Quigley is a Congressional representative for Illinois' 5th District and a member of the congressional hockey caucus. He worked on getting O'Ree's nomination through the Senate and the House.

"It's long overdue. We needed a dose of Willie O'Ree here," he told Shift NB.

He said 290 members of the House needed to sign on before the bill even goes to a vote, which he called a tough bar in this day and age.

"They talk about crossing the aisle to work on legislation. On this one, there was no aisle," he said.

Quigley, a big hockey fan himself, recalled meeting O'Ree in 2010 when he came to Washington to talk about diversity programs in hockey.

"I shook his hand and I thought, this is a guy who can still put the skates on. He stayed tough."

He said he wonders whether O'Ree will be thinking about his family, including a grandfather who escaped from slavery, when he receives the award.

"Is he wondering about that path and how he continued the core essence of ending oppression and inequality on and off the hockey rink. It's such a great part of history."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.