fb-pixelWhat to know about Willie O'Ree, the barrier-breaking NHLer whose Bruins number will be retired Tuesday Skip to main content
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64 years after breaking a barrier, Willie O’Ree to have number retired by Bruins

Willie O'Ree will tune into the ceremony virtually.Susan Walsh/Associated Press

On Tuesday night at TD Garden, the Bruins will retire the No. 22 of Willie O’Ree, the first Black man to play in the NHL.

The ceremony is a long time coming — it had originally been scheduled for February 2021, but was pushed back to Martin Luther King Jr. weekend 2022 to allow fans to attend amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuesday marks 64 years to the day he made made his debut.

O’Ree will not be in attendance, and will instead join virtually from his home in San Diego due to an abundance of caution surrounding the pandemic.

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“He’s in great health,” said Bryant McBride, a longtime friend. “He’s excited. He’s humbled and he’s overwhelmed by the whole thing. He was only at the top level for a little bit, but he found a way to add to the game in a way people couldn’t ignore.”

The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. You can watch on NESN, NHL Network, stream it on NHL.com, and listen on 98.5.

In addition to the ceremony, players from all teams on the ice tonight — not just the Hurricanes and the Bruins — will wear a special No. 22 helmet decal to honor O’Ree’s legacy.

O’Ree’s number will be the 12th retired by the Bruins.

O’Ree, 86, was born in New Brunswick and made his debut in the NHL in January 1958. He played 45 games in the NHL, and spent more than two decades playing pro hockey, despite being legally blind in one eye.

O’Ree has worked for the NHL since 1998, developing non-profit hockey programs for kids in the United States and Canada.

Boston will also celebrate O’Ree’s legacy by lighting landmarks up in gold, including: Boston City Hall, the Prudential Center, TD Garden, Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, the Ducklings at Boston Public Garden, Zakim Bridge, Rose Kennedy Greenway, One International Place, Hyatt Cambridge, Longfellow Bridge and Boston Harbor Hotel.

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Jan. 18, 2022, has also been named Will O’Ree Day in Boston.

Here’s more on O’Ree:


Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her @k8tmac.