Willie O'Ree's Congressional Gold Medal Signed Into Law

BOSTON (CBS) -- Willie O'Ree, who broke the NHL's color barrier in 1958, is another step closer to receiving his Congressional Gold Medal.

On Monday, President Joe Biden signed legislation honoring O'Ree with a Congressional Gold Medal into law, the White House announced. This comes just days after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill to award the Medal to O'Ree, a bill which the Senate unanimously passed in July.

He was initially awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2021, "in recognition of his extraordinary contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity." Illinois representative Mike Quigley, who was part of the group that introduced the bill to Congress last February, also Tweeted about the news on Monday:

O'Ree became the first Black player in the NHL when he made his debut with the Boston Bruins in 1958. The Bruins retired O'Ree's No. 22 just a few weeks ago, making him just the 12th member of the franchise to have their number hanging in the TD Garden rafters.

He played just two games for the Bruins in 1957-58, and after two seasons in the minors, O'Ree returned to play 43 games for Boston during the 1960-61 season. He only played in those 45 games during his NHL career, playing despite being blind in one eye, and finished with four goals and 10 assists.

While his on-ice impact was limited, his impact off it is immeasurable. Breaking the league's color barrier earned O'Ree a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Now 86, O'Ree is not done making his impact on the game of hockey, either. For the last two decades, he has served as the NHL's director of youth development and as an ambassador for NHL diversity.

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