Willie O'Ree In The House

[Tom Polakis]

During a break in the Sabres game, there was an interview with Willie O'Ree, the first black NHL player. He entered the league in 1958, and played 21 years of professional (mostly minor league) hockey, despite being blind in one eye. After the game, there was a short Q&A with O'Ree and filmmaker Kwame Mason, who produced "Soul On Ice", a full-length documentary about black hockey players. They followed this with a screening of the film.

Feel free to gloss over the following rant. The Coyotes crew did their usual worst at promoting the event, resulting in less than a hundred people sticking around. We asked our usher, who did his best, but had no idea where we were supposed to go. During the film, they just couldn't wait to run the loud Zambonis over the ice, with the drivers oblivious to what was going on. It's another in a series of examples of things that couldn't have been handled much less professionally. Starts at the top, as they say.

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[ck26]

I saw the photo of WOR doing the opening faceoff, saw no other promotion. Seems disrespectful to both gentlemen to have them to such a small audience. Whatever. Just another f up. Coyote standard.

 

[Coyotes2000]

So what you're saying is, on a Sunday night alot of people wanted to get home to get ready for the work week?

 

[0point1]

So what you're saying is, on a Sunday night alot of people wanted to get home to get ready for the work week?

Nah, what he is saying is the Coyotes did a terrible job promoting it (as usual.) This is the first I ever heard about it.

 

[Matias Maccete]

Par for the course sadly.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

So what you're saying is, on a Sunday night alot of people wanted to get home to get ready for the work week?

Even if every single person who attended the game was from Apache Junction or southeast Gilbert, they should have taken a chance to meet one of the legends of the game and a man who broke barriers in the whitest sport in North America. If nobody wanted that chance, then that says a lot - negatively - about the quality of our fanbase.

I'm not surprised that the Coyotes half-assed this, though.

 

[phxroadrunner]

He was a Western Hockey League legend. Growing up Roadrunners fan in the 70s he was one of the many players on the San Diego Gulls that I hated. I've heard his color barrier-breaking story countless times. Very compelling, but I wouldn't have been interested in sticking around after the game to hear it again. I would much rather hear him wax nostalgic about his 13 seasons in the WHL.

 

[Tanic]

He was a Western Hockey League legend. Growing up Roadrunners fan in the 70s he was one of the many players on the San Diego Gulls that I hated. I've heard his color barrier-breaking story countless times. Very compelling, but I wouldn't have been interested in sticking around after the game to hear it again. I would much rather hear him wax nostalgic about his 13 seasons in the WHL.

Some great games at the Coliseum. I think he played for the Portland Buckaroos in the WHL too.