In 1958, Boston lost a player on injury. They called up one Willie O’Ree to replace him for two games. He first scratched the ice in Boston on January 18th.
In doing so, O’Ree smashed open a color barrier that had been chipped at by Larry Kwong of NYR. The first person of color to play an NHL game all the way through. Three years later, he was an active roster member, netting 14 points.
He recounted the tale of his first game in an absolutely spectacular article in The Player’s Tribune, describing the first time he ever got to meet Jackie Robinson, and of course.