Celebrating Willie O'Ree: Bruins Finally Get It Right

For years, the Boston Bruins have done nothing right.

Trading away Andy Moog after the 1993 season was the beginning. The Bruins haven't recovered since then, winning just two postseason series in the last 15 years.

Then there was the trade of Ray Bourque to Colorado. What on Earth did the Bruins get out of that trade? What did that accomplish?

And firing Robbie Ftorek with eight games to go despite the Bruins' being playoff-bound and having a winning record?

Dumb.

Did GM Mike O'Connell really think that he would be that great as a coach?

There was also, of course, the Joe Thornton debacle—when the Bruins got spare parts for a perennial MVP candidate.

(Then again, the other side is that Thornton chokes in the playoffs, but still...)

In any event, though, it looks like the Bruins finally did something right for a change.

There was a blurb on the radio earlier today about "Willie O'Ree Night" when the Bruins host the Rangers on Saturday (Jan. 19th), to celebrate O'Ree's breaking the NHL color barrier 50 years ago.

O'Ree made his NHL debut on January 18th, 1958 with the last-place Bruins at the Montreal Forum, becoming the first black player in league history.

O'Ree was no Jackie Robinson, in the sense that the former Bruin wasn't a superstar player the way his baseball counterpart was. But being the NHL's first black player was a major milestone in the sport of hockey.

Just ask current stars like Jerome Iginla and Mike Grier, and former greats like Grant Fuhr.

O'Ree's emergence didn't immediately pave the way for others to join him—Mike Marson was next, drafted by Washington some 16 years later. However, O'Ree deserves the accolades, and is looked upon as a role model and pioneer by many.

The NHL is doing its part too, as the league intends to honor O'Ree during the All-Star Game at Philips Arena in Atlanta on January 27th.

Ironically, the Red Sox were the last Major League Baseball team to have a black player on their roster, while the Bruins were the first in the NHL.

Unfortunately, O'Ree's career was brief—45 games all told. O'Ree, who was 95 percent blind in one eye, finished with four goals and 10 assists in the NHL.

Still, the fact that the Bruins decided to honor O'Ree shows that the team is at least capable of exercising good judgment every now and again.

One right move by the Bruins after all those horrible decisions in the recent past—that's got to count for something, right?

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