who was the first black man to play in the nhl
Willie O'Ree Willie Eldon O'Ree, CM ONB (born October 15, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League. O'Ree played as a winger for the Boston Bruins. O'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" due to breaking the black colour barrier in the sport,[1][NB 1] and has stated publicly that he had met Jackie Robinson twice in his own younger years.[2][3] He will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2018.
Joe Louis Arena The arena hosted its first event on December 12, 1979: a college basketball game between the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit.[citation needed] The Red Wings played their first game at Joe Louis Arena on December 27, 1979, hosting the St. Louis Blues.[8] Later that first season it hosted the 32nd NHL All-Star Game on February 5, 1980,[9] which was played before a then-NHL record crowd of 21,002. Joe Louis Arena was the site of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, which marked the first NHL Entry Draft to be held in the United States. In 1980, the arena hosted the Republican National Convention that nominated Ronald Reagan as the Republican candidate for President of the United States.