Wayne Simmonds was drawn to hockey at a young age.
He just wasn’t allowed to participate until one specific homework assignment was complete, on one specific figure.
“I remember being 6 or 7 years old, and I told my parents, ‘I want to play hockey.’ And they said before I could, I had to look up Willie O’Ree,” Simmonds, a Toronto Maple Leafs winger, told ESPN recently. “They wanted me to know why I was getting this opportunity to even be able to play the game. I did a lot of studying about Willie growing up, and ever since that, Willie has been my idol. Without him, not only Black children, but other BIPOC kids as well, probably wouldn’t have had their opportunities. Every ethnicity has its trailblazer; it’s first. Willie was the first.”
It was Jan. 18, 1958, when Willie O’Ree donned a Boston Bruins sweater and made history as the NHL’s first Black player. Because of a lifetime devoted to improving the sport he loves, O’Ree ensured he would not be the last. On Jan. 18, 2022, the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at www.espn.com – NHL…