Willie O’Ree was, and he made history on January 18, 1958, when he became the first Black hockey player to play a game in the National Hockey League. (The Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens that night, 3–0.) After playing only two games for the Bruins in the 1957–58 season, O’Ree returned to the team in the 1960–61 season and scored 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 43 regular-season games. On January 1, 1961, O’Ree also became the first Black player to score a goal in the NHL, in a 3–2 win over the Canadiens. LEARN MORE >