January 18, 1958
On this day in 1958, the NHL officially became integrated when Willie O'Ree suited up for the Boston Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. A native of Canada, O'Ree only appeared in a handful of games for the Bruins before being sent to the minors and bouncing around other leagues. It would be more than 15 years before another black hockey player would see action in an NHL game.