OTTAWA, ON – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he keeps a signed hockey stick from “living legend” Willie O’Ree as a constant reminder of the work that remains to combat racism.
Trudeau added himself to a long list of people inspired by the life and career of O’Ree, who in January 1958 became the first Black man to play in the NHL.
Trudeau and O’Ree participated Monday in a virtual assembly with Canadian students, marking both the first day of Black History Month and the Canadian release of a new documentary about O’Ree.
Trudeau says he keeps the stick O’Ree gave him during a visit to Parliament Hill in 2018 next to his desk — both as testament to O’Ree’s perseverance and a daily reminder that neither Canada, nor the game it