#NHLVideos: Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award Winner Announcement



The NHL’s VP of Community Development and Growth, Jeff Scott, announces the winner of the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai, which is given to an individual who – through the sport of hockey – has positively impacted their community, culture or society in Canada. For the first time, the NHL is presenting the 2023 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award to one winner in the United States and the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai to one winner in Canada. The U.S. winner of the 2023 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award will be announced on June 26 during the NHL Awards™ ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award honors former NHL forward Willie O’Ree, who on Jan. 18, 1958, became the first Black player to compete in the League. O’Ree, who lost sight in his right eye at a young age, went on to play professional hockey for 21 years. For more than two decades he has served as the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador, traveling across North America to schools and hockey programs to share his story and experiences as well as to promote messages of inclusion, dedication, and confidence. O’Ree has used hockey as a platform to build character and teach life skills and has used his influence to foster positive values through the sport. In 2018, O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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