What if Willie O'Ree was given a real chance...?

Question

What if Willie O'Ree was given a real chance in the NHL?

What if he was a real star in the NHL?

Do you think there would be more blacks than there are today?

Do you think the game would be affected by his possible stardom?

Would the next black NHL player have come earlier than Mike Marson came almost 20 years later in 1974? Would black players get more recognition then they do now?

If he was given a chance, do you think other minorites would take more of an interest in hockey as well as being given a chance at the NHL?

I am not trying to be racist or anything, I am just asking a what if question. =]

Please discuss what you think about this topic.

Thank you.

Answer 1

I don't think he would have. Remember, he was a career minor leaguer.  Some of that may have had to do with his race, but if he could be a star, wouldn't they have brought him up quicker?

He was also blind in one eye, had no depth perception and such because of it- it's amazing he made it to the NHL.

What ifs can be fun, but never useful...

Answer 2

What if F was a good grade?

What if there had been an actual recount in 2000?

Who knows?  I played hockey starting in 1966.  In that time I knew of a few black kids who played hockey, but since my small town had a small percentage of blacks they probably represented about 10 % of all the kids who could have played hockey.

I think if it made a difference it would have been in the US where there is a higher percentage of blacks.  Mind you, hockey isn't a cheap game to play and the blacks in the US was repressed long after they were emancipated so many of them probably might have watched but how many would have played is hard to say.  Hockey also would have taken a long time to get to the deep south since in the 50s and 60s and artificial ice surface would have been hard to make and keep up in that heat/humidity.

I don't think anyone thinks you're a racist for asking this.  I'm thinking you have a head on your shoulders and you like to ask questions.  What ifs are important.  Not just looking back but also looking forward.  I hope you get some good answers.

Answer 3

What's your definition of a real chance? What "didn't" he get? After all they probably didn't want him to play because he was black; so they probably paid him to play because he had talent. How is that different from any other player?  

Answer 4

I think that yes, the black population in the nhl today would be higer, but i think that it was the publication, everyone knows about jackie robinson, but i dont think people(at least in the us) started talking about how willie o'ree broke the barrier, and yes, i think that also the next player could have come sooner, there were black leagues all over canada, and they could have merged had o'ree become big, and i also think that o'ree could have been a great player, but i think that the fact he was blind in one eye i believe, held back his true potential