In 1958 Canadian Willie O'Ree broke the colour barrier in the National Hockey League. Willie O'Ree was picked to play for the Boston Bruins in the NHL despite suffering a devastating eye injury earlier in his career. The NHL was then made up of just six professional teams based in Canada and the United States. O'Ree had to face horrific racial abuse from both fans and some players when he took to the ice. Alex Last spoke to Willie O'Ree about his memories of being the first elite black ice hockey player. 
Photo:Willie O'Ree, now a NHL Diversity Ambassador attends the NHL All Star Game at Bell Centre on January 25, 2009 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images for NHL)

In 1958 Canadian Willie O'Ree broke the colour barrier in the National Hockey League. Willie O'Ree was picked to play for the Boston Bruins in the NHL despite suffering a devastating eye injury earlier in his career. The NHL was then made up of just six professional teams based in Canada and the United States. O'Ree had to face horrific racial abuse from both fans and some players when he took to the ice. Alex Last spoke to Willie O'Ree about his memories of being the first elite black ice hockey player. Photo:Willie O'Ree, now a NHL Diversity Ambassador attends the NHL All Star Game at Bell Centre on January 25, 2009 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images for NHL)

Willie O'Ree: The First Black NHL Player

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

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History

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

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Willie O'Ree: The First Black NHL Player

Willie O'Ree: The First Black NHL Player

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