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list price: $12.95
edition:Paperback
category: Children's Nonfiction
published: Feb 2020
ISBN:9781459415164
publisher: James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
imprint: Lorimer

Willie O'Ree

The story of the first black player in the NHL

by Nicole Mortillaro

tagged: sports & recreation, cultural heritage, prejudice & racism
Description

Willie O'Ree quietly made NHL history at the Montreal Forum on January 18, 1958, when he became the first black player to take to the ice. In the dressing room before the game, his Boston Bruins teammates told him not to worry. If any one of the Montreal players said anything to him, they'd have his back.

There was a round of applause when O'Ree stepped onto the ice, and newspapers ran the story. The colour barrier in the NHL had been broken, yet it would be sixteen years before the next black player, Mike Marson, was drafted. Four decades later, the NHL pulled O'Ree out of retirement to honour his achievement and make him an ambassador for the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone" program to encourage kids from all backgrounds to play hockey.

This book traces the early life of O'Ree in Fredericton, New Brunswick, his journey to the NHL, highlights from his hockey career, and his work encouraging diversity in the NHL.

About the Author

Nicole Mortillaro

NICOLE MORTILLARO is an author, a science reporter with CBC News, the editor of the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and an amateur astronomer. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Contributor Notes

NICOLE MORTILLARO is the author of several hockey books for children, including the Recordbooks Something to Prove and Jarome Iginla. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
Age:
12 to 18
Grade:
7 to 12
Reading age:
12 to 18
Awards
  • Short-listed, Red Cedar Award
  • Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens
  • Commended, Resource Links - The Year's Best
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