Sports History

Born November 13, 1950, in Victoriaville, Quebec, was Hockey Hall of Fame Center Gilbert Perreault. This legend was a scoring machine, putting 512 pucks on the net in his brilliant career with the Buffalo Sabres. Perreault was a two-time NHL All-Star and made the 100 Greatest NHL Players list in 2017.

Born November 3, 1901, in Toronto, Ontario, was Hockey Hall of Fame Defenseman Lionel Hitchman. This legend was a two-time Stanley Cup Champion and Hart Memorial Award winner. Hitchman skated with the Ottawa Senators and the Boston Bruins during his thirteen-year career.

Born October 2, 1960, in Vancouver, British Columbia, was Hockey Hall of Fame Right Wing Glenn Anderson. This Canadian was a member of six Stanley Cup winning teams of the Edmonton Oilers.

Born May 6, 1917, in Pilot Mound, Manitoba, was Hockey Hall of Fame Defenseman, Jack Stewart. "Black Jack" played in 12 National Hockey League seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks. He won two Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings and was named to the post-season NHL All-Star team five times. His hard-hitting style of play earned him the nickname, a feared reputation on the ice, and his fair share of injuries. NHL Jersey 2

Born April 28, 1970, in Krylbo, Sweden, was Hockey Hall of Fame Defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom. played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings from 1991 to 2012, which he captained for the final six seasons of his career. Called by the nickname of " The Perfect Human," Lidstrom was on four Stanley Cup Championship teams, made 12 NHL All-Star squads, and won one Comm Smythe Trophy. The Red Wings never missed the playoffs during his career, the longest in league history for a player never missing the playoffs. NHL Jersey 5

Born May 9, 1965, in Cranbrook, British Columbia, was Hockey Hall of Fame Center Steve Yzerman. Steve served as the longest-running captain in NHL history (dressing as captain for over 1,300 games) serving his entire 22-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings franchise. The well decorated skater earned the Lester B. Pearson Award (Most outstanding player) in the 1988–89 season, the Conn Smythe Trophy (Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup playoffs) in 1998, the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in 2000 and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance in 2003. He played in ten All-Star Games, and was a first team All-Star in 2000 and a member of the All-Rookie Team in 1984. NHL Jersey 19

Born May 15, 1914, in Brandon, Manitoba, was Hockey Hall of Fame Goaltender, Turk Broda. Broda played his entire NHL career for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the first goaltender to reach 300 wins. He was named as one of the top 100 NHL players in history in a 2017 poll.

Pavel Bure, the Hockey Hall of Fame Right Wing, played for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. His speed and skating earned him the nickname of "the Russian Rocket." Bure was one of the top NHL players to have worn the Jersey 10.

Born February 20, 1942, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, was Hockey Hall of Fame Center, Phil Esposito. This legend was an eight-time NHL All-Star who won five Art Ross, two Ted Lindsey Awards, and two Hart Memorial Trophies. Esposito is best known for his time with the Boston Bruins; however, he started his NHL journey with the Chicago Black Hawks. On the other side of his career, after playing in Beantown, he was a member of the New York Rangers. Esposito's career was so impactful that he was honored on the NHL's 100th Anniversary - 100 Greatest Players.

Born October 15, 1935, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, was Hockey Hall of Fame Wing, Willie O'Ree. This legend of the ice is widely recognized for being the first black player in the National Hockey League, skating for the Boston Bruins. His accomplishment of breaking the black color barrier in the NHL has led him to sometimes being referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey."

O'Ree was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He began playing hockey at a young age and quickly established himself as a talented player. However, his path to the NHL was not easy. He faced racism and discrimination at every level of hockey, but he persevered.

In 1958, O'Ree was called up to the Boston Bruins. He made his NHL debut on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens. O'Ree played in two games for the Bruins that season, but he was then sent back to the minors.

O'Ree continued to play in the minors for several years, but he never gave up on his dream of playing in the NHL. Finally, in 1961, he was recalled by the Bruins. He played in 43 games for the Bruins that season, scoring six goals and adding 10 assists.

O'Ree played for the Bruins for two more seasons, but he was often the target of racial abuse from both fans and players. In 1963, he was hit in the face with a puck and suffered a serious eye injury. The injury forced him to retire from the NHL at the age of 27.

Despite his short career in the NHL, O'Ree had a profound impact on the game of hockey. He paved the way for other black players to follow in his footsteps, and he helped to break down racial barriers in the sport.

O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.