Willie O’Ree Place, situated at 605 Cliffe Street in Fredericton, is a state-of-the-art, fully accessible facility. It features two NHL-sized ice rinks, 11 spacious dressing rooms, offices for officials and event organizers, and an indoor walking track. The facility also includes three community use rooms, canteens managed by the Nashwaaksis Y’s Men Club, the Fredericton YMCA Northside Wellness Centre, a seasonal youth center, and an indoor skateboard park. This modern establishment also hosts Fredericton’s Celebration of Sport.
On January 16, 2008, the North Side Sports & Leisure Complex was renamed Willie O’Ree Place to honor the trailblazing Fredericton-born athlete. Willie Eldon O’Ree, born on October 15, 1935, in Fredericton, made significant contributions to hockey in the New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association. Known for his remarkable speed and checking abilities, O’Ree was a standout player on the ice.
Following his time with the NBAHA, O’Ree briefly competed for the Fredericton Merchants in the York County Hockey League before moving on to the Fredericton Jr. Capitals in the New Brunswick Junior Hockey League.
Born in Fredericton, the athlete played parts of the 1951-52 and 1952-53 seasons with the Jr. Capitals before joining the Fredericton Capitals in the New Brunswick Senior Hockey League from 1952 to 1954. During his tenure, he led his team to the 1954 Allan Cup tournament. He moved on to the Quebec Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Frontenacs in the 1954-55 season, steering them to the 1955 Memorial Cup tournament.
He remained in Quebec for a season before transferring to the Ontario Hockey Association Junior ‘A’ Hockey League’s Kitchener Canucks in 1955-56, where he scored a career-high 30 goals. The following season, he played for the Quebec Aces in the Quebec Hockey League, competing for the Edinburgh Trophy.
In the 1957-58 season, O’Ree primarily competed with the Aces, but also briefly joined the American Hockey League’s Springfield Indians, setting the stage for his historic NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. His first NHL game marked a significant milestone as he became the league’s first black player. He returned to the Aces for the 1958-59 season.
After his stint with Kingston in the Eastern Professional Hockey League, O’Ree rejoined the Bruins for the 1960-61 season. During this period, he played 43 games and scored his inaugural NHL goal against the Montreal Canadiens. While primarily with Boston, O’Ree also competed for the EPHL’s Hull-Ottawa Canadians before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens during the offseason.
However, O’Ree never played for Montreal and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League after starting the season in the EPHL. He remained with Los Angeles for six seasons, achieving a peak of 38 goals in the 1964-65 season. In the summer of 1967, he was traded to the San Diego Gulls of the WHL.
O’Ree enjoyed a seven-season tenure with San Diego, recording a career-high 79 points in the 1968-69 season and earning WHL Second Team All-Star honors. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Sharks in the 1972 WHA General Player Draft while still playing in San Diego.
During his time with San Diego, O’Ree primarily played the 1972-73 season with the AHL’s New Haven Nighthawks. After thirteen years in the Western Hockey League, he joined the San Diego Charms of the Southern California Senior Hockey League, playing for two seasons before a brief hiatus from 1976 to 1978.
Returning to professional hockey in 1978-79, O’Ree joined the San Diego Hawks of the Pacific Hockey League, where he concluded his career, retiring at the season’s end.
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