Willie O'Ree, the first Black player to appear in an NHL game, finally had his No. 22 retired by the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
"From a young age, my heart and my mind were set on making it to the NHL. I'm grateful and honored that it was with the Bruins," said O'Ree, in speech delivered virtually before the Bruins' game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The honor came 64 years to the day after O'Ree, 86, broke the NHL's color barrier on Jan. 18, 1958, in a game between the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens.