Did you think a Boston Bruin would go into the Hockey Hall of Fame this year? Well, the answer is yes.
The answer is yes because Willie O'Ree was selected to join the Hall of Fame as a builder in their 2018 class. O'Ree if often times described as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey" (as opposed to my uncle Mark who calls himself "the Michael Jordan of drunk driving") because he was the first black player in NHL history.
He made it to the league despite being nearly blind in one eye and spent parts of two seasons with the Bruins (1957-1958 and 1960-1961). In all, he played in 45 career NHL games and put up 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists). But he also had a long ro career that spanned decades outside of the NHL and has continued giving back to the game after his playing days ended.
O'Ree serves as a Diversity Ambassador for the NHL. Not sure exactly what that means, but giving back to the community is a positive, right?
"Willie is a pioneer and tremendous ambassador for the game of hockey, and on behalf of the Bruins organization I would like to congratulate Willie and his family on today’s announcement that he will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame,” Bruins legend turned front office guy Cam Neely wrote in a press release for the Bruins. “The courage he showed 60 years ago when he broke the league’s color barrier while wearing a Bruins sweater is an inspiration, and his work today continues to grow the game of hockey and spread the message that hockey is for everyone.”
So yeah, that's another Bruin in the Hall of Fame. That's just more proof the Bruins are a good hockey team, not that we needed any more of it.