Over the past year I have asked a number of questions dealing with the potential Hall of Fame candidacy of such players as Doug Gilmour, Mats Sundin, Mike Modano, and Sergei Fedorov. This time I go that same route with Willie O'Ree. While he didn't have as similar of a career as his fellow NHL contemporaries, O'Ree has three factors in his favor: the fact that in 1958 he became the first black NHL player, crossing the so-called color barrier in the league; putting up great numbers in the minor leagues (keep in mind that Vladislav Tretiak and Valery Kharlamov are in the Hall, yet have never played in the NHL); and doing wonders in developing programs for minorities in the U.S. and Canada.
That being said, is O'Ree a worthy candidate for the hockey (not strictly NHL) Hall of Fame?
2007-10-17
11:32:14
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12 answers
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asked by
Snoop
5
in
Hockey