20 Dollars - Elizabeth II Willie O'ree

Reverse

The reverse design re-creates a photograph of Hockey Hall of Fame member Willie O'Ree from his playing days with the Boston Bruins (1958, 1960-61). O'Ree's signature is reproduced above his jersey number ("22"), while in the background, the Boston Bruins logo forms a repeating field pattern.

Scripts: Latin, Latin (cursive)

Lettering:
Willie O'Ree
B 22
20 DOLLARS

Designer: Darrel E. Kennedy

Edge

Serrated

Comment

When Willie O'Ree stepped onto the ice on January 18, 1958, he wasn't just making his National Hockey League (NHL) debut—he was making history. Celebrate Black History Month with this pure silver tribute to Canadian-born hockey player Willie O'Ree, who became the first Black player to compete in the NHL. A story of courage and determination, O'Ree had to overcome discrimination and a competitive disadvantage to make his hockey dreams come true in the Original Six era. By breaking the league's racial barrier, O'Ree's legacy can't be found in any scoring stats—it'sin the path he carved for future generations of Black players who left their own imprint on the game.

Did you know…
He kept his partial blindness a secret. It was during his time with the Kitchener Canucks, in the 1955-56 season, that a deflected puckstruck O'Ree in the face. He lost 95% of his vision in his right eye and was told to stop playing, but 10 days later, O'Ree was back on the ice.He kept his partial blindness a secret since this would have made him ineligible to play in the NHL.
O'Ree was also the first black player to score an NHL goal. It was a game-winner, too—it helped Boston beat the visiting Montreal Canadiens on New Year's Day 1961 by a score of 3-2, and it earned O'Ree a standing ovation from the home crowd.

2020 Black History Month Profile: NHL Player Willie O'Ree
Born and raised in Fredericton, N.B., Willie O'Ree played his way up the ranks of junior hockey in Fredericton, Quebec City and Kitchener-Waterloo, where the fast-skating left winger proved to have an intuitive scoring touch.
Signed by the Boston Bruins® in 1957, O'Ree's big break came on January 18, 1958, when the three-time 20-goal scorer was called up as a replacement for a game against the Montreal Canadiens®. O'Ree played one more game for the Bruins before returning to Quebec, but his play earned him another call-up to the Bruins on November 18, 1960. O'Ree played 43 games in the NHL during the 1960-61 season, scoring four goals and 10 assists while enduring racist taunts by opposing players and fans. It proved to be his last season in the NHL; traded to the Montreal Canadiens, O'Ree played 14 seasons in the minors before hanging up his skates in 1979.
A true trailblazer with an inspirational message for all, O'Ree returned to the NHL in 1998 as an ambassador for diversity and today, he continues to promote inclusiveness. He is a Lester Patrick Trophy winner, the inspiration for the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award, and the recipient of both the Order of Canada and the Order of New Brunswick. O'Ree's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 cemented his place in hockey history, by recognizing the far-reaching effects of his career.

In Honour of Black History Month, the Royal Canadian Mint has proudly designed a 99.99% pure silver tribute to NHL trailblazer Willie O'Ree.

Packaging:
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded custom packaging that complements the coin design and extends the celebration beyond the coin.

Interesting fact

Price

Date	Mintage	VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC
2020	5500	-	-	-	-	-	-

Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 20 Dollars - Elizabeth II (Willie O'ree) 2020 coin.