TORONTO - During Black History Month, Demand Films put together a nationwide, one-day screening of Willie, a documentary on Willie O’Ree, the first black player in NHL history.
O’Ree is often compared to Jackie Robinson—a comparison that he initially disregarded, then grew more comfortable with as time marched on—as the film illuminates his pathway to the league, his life, and his bid for the Hockey Hall of Fame among other themes.
In a year where the culture of hockey has been confronted with its own racism—namely through Don Cherry’s firing at Sportsnet and Akim Aliu exposing a pattern of racial abuse from Bill Peters—I attended the screening hoping it’d provide a lens into where hockey can stand to improve on inclusion, race relations and how the sport can become more accessible.