CALGARY -- A documentary film that explores the incredible life of Hockey Hall of Fame member Willie O'Ree will be screened in Calgary ahead of its wide release.
There will be a public screening presented by the Calgary Flames Foundation in support of Classroom Champions on Friday, Jan. 31 at the 7:30 p.m. at the Globe Theatre.
Directed by Laurence Mathieu-Leger, and a production team consisting of minority and women filmmakers, Willie tells the story of how O'Ree, the youngest of 13 children who was born in Fredericton in 1935 made it all the way to the Hockey Hall of Fame despite being blind in one eye, .
O'Ree, the first black hockey player in the NHL, played two seasons in the NHL for the Bruins, and more than 20 seasons as a pro.
Named the NHL's Diversity Ambassador in 1998, he helped to establish 39 local grassroots hockey programs, inspiring more than 120,000 boys and girls to play the game.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
Willie was named a Top 5 Audience Favourite at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, won Best Sports Documentary at the Downtown LA Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia.
Classroom Champions is a mentorship program that matches volunteer Olympic, Paralympic, student athlete and professional athletes with classrooms, where they spend a year sharing their insights, experiences and advice through pre-recorded video lessons, live video chats and an online community.
Tickets for Friday's screening are free. You can register for tickets here.
