70 HIFE Participants at Friday Night’s Skills Competition at Walter Brown Arena, Boston University
During the weekend of January 3-5, 2020, SCORE Boston Hockey, along with the NHL and Boston Bruins, hosted the annual Willie O’Ree Skills Weekend for the first time in the city of Boston. The Skills Weekend was originally founded in 1996 by Willie O’Ree, who became the first black player ever to play in the NHL when he made his debut for the Bruins on January 18, 1958. The annual event brought together 70 boys and girls from 17 ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ programs from across North America, which are committed to offering diverse youth an opportunity to play hockey, leveraging the sport to build character, foster positive values and develop important life skills.
On Friday night, the players took the ice at Walter Brown Arena, home of the Boston University Terriers’ Women’s team for an All-Star Skills Competition. Following the skate, the players attended a banquet and got to hear from guest speakers including Willie O’Ree himself and AJ Mleczko, who won gold and silver medals in 1998 and 2002 as a member of the United States Women’s Olympic hockey team.
Both speakers shared inspirational stories about overcoming adversity and values that hockey teaches: teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. Maggie Webber, a player representing SCORE Boston Hockey, explained what it was like to hear from the speakers. “Mr. O'Ree is one of the most genuine and kind people I met this weekend. He truly inspired me and helped me understand the true meaning of diversity in hockey. One of things he spoke of was to never give up. Always follow your dreams to succeed in life.” Representatives from the Hockey Hall of Fame were also in attendance, bringing several NHL trophies, including the Art Ross, Vezina, Hart Memorial and Willie O’Ree Community Trophies for the boys and girls to take pictures with.
On Saturday, all participants took a virtual tour of Boston from the Prudential Tower’s Skywalk Observatory. From there, the players attended the Boston Bruins – Edmonton Oilers matinee game, where players from Score Boston Hockey, Hockey in Harlem, Clark Park Hockey and the San Diego Saints joined Willie O’Ree on the ice for the pre-game ceremonial puck drop.
Following the Bruins game, the ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ players received a locker room visit from current Bruins forward Brad Marchand, who spoke with the kids and presented Mr. O’Ree with a plaque to commemorate his impact on youth hockey. The players then split up into two teams to play in their own ‘East vs. West’ game on the famed TD Garden Ice.
The Skills Weekend wrapped up on Sunday, with a 3-on-3 tournament at Agganis Arena, home of the Boston University Terriers’ Men’s team. Each ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ team played three games, followed by playoff round to crown the 2020 Willie O’Ree Hockey Tournament Champion, Snider Youth Hockey from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Throughout the tournament , the kids heard from guest speakers from the Base, Boston College and the Boston Pride, who focused on delivering messages that reinforced the importance of education and diversity.
“This weekend's event was one of the best weekends of my life”, said Maggie. Teammate Cameron Powell jumped in to say, “this weekend’s events were positive and full of excitement. Also, it was really fun meeting new kids and making friends.”
SCORE Boston Hockey appreciated the support it received from Massachusetts Hockey during the 3-on-3 tournament, who provided on-ice equipment and volunteers to assist with the games.
Group photo at TD Garden with Willie O’Ree
About SCORE Boston Hockey
SCORE Boston Hockey (www.scorebostonhockey.org) is a non-profit ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ organization that provides youth from ages 5 – 14, the opportunity to participate in the sport of ice hockey and inspiration to see their future differently. SCORE’s mission is to improve the outcomes for children in the city of Boston and the surrounding communities by using ice hockey as a platform to highlight the importance of education, teach life lessons around perseverance, teamwork, overcoming adversity, and foster an environment of tolerance and respect for others. The program is 100% volunteer run and is in its 24th season.
About the Boston Bruins Community Outreach
The Boston Bruins community outreach programs collaborate with organizations across New England that demonstrate a commitment to health and wellness, education and athletics. The Boston Bruins believe that advocating for children and families across these areas will create a strong support system that will ultimately lead to the betterment of our community.
About ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’
Since 1996, the NHL’s ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ youth hockey initiative has provided opportunities for more than 120,000 boys and girls to play hockey. There are currently 26 ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ programs across North America committed to offering disadvantaged youth an opportunity to play hockey, leveraging the sport to build character, foster positive values and develop important life skills.