The Boston Parks and Recreation Department is teaming up with the Boston Bruins Foundation to host the Willie O’Ree Street Hockey Clinic Series for boys and girls ages 12 and under at five Boston parks. Learn or hone your street hockey skills at these free clinics featuring giveaways with all equipment provided. All clinics begin at 3 p.m.
Nearby dates and locations are as follows:
•Tuesday, August 17
Langone Park
529 Commercial Street, North End
•Tuesday, August 24
Noyes Playground
86 Boardman Street, East Boston
To register, call Damien Margardo at (617) 961-3083 or email [email protected], or Mavrick Afonso at (617) 961-3039 or [email protected].
The rink at Smith Playground in Allston is named in Willie O’Ree’s honor. The first Black player in the NHL, O’Ree was recently named to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hailing from New Brunswick, Canada, he became the first Black player to compete in the National Hockey League when he took the ice for the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958. Despite losing the sight in his right eye at a young age, O’Ree went on to play professional hockey for 21 years.