The retirement of Willie O'Ree's No. 22 by the Boston Bruins will be a landmark moment, happening 64 years to the date that he became the first Black player in the NHL. A summit scheduled around that event intends to honor the power of that moment, while trying to make hockey's future diverse and inclusive.
The Carnegie Initiative Inaugural Summit is scheduled for Jan. 17-18 at The Hub on Causeway, adjacent to North Station and TD Garden in Boston. The two-day forum on driving change and awareness in hockey will culminate with O'Ree's number retirement ceremony before the Bruins face the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan.