Willie O’Ree Autographed “Breaking Barriers” 20x24

“Breaking Barriers”, a fitting description for one of Hockey’s biggest pioneers and trailblazers: Willie O’Ree. O’Ree had two dreams growing up: to be a professional hockey player and to compete in the NHL. Despite various obstacles, including losing complete vision in his right eye, O’Ree did just that, as he would often tell himself “Forget about what you can’t see and concentrate on what you can see” for inspiration. O’Ree worked several jobs after retiring from Hockey in 1974 but as the sport continued to grow it increasingly recognized the need for diversity within the sport and appreciated more and more the importance and bravery of O’Ree’s actions. O’Ree would be hired as the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador in 1998 and in 2022 was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Biden, the highest honor the US can bestow on a civilian. O’Ree is the only NHL player in history to have been given the award.

This image is autographed by Willie O’Ree. O’Ree’s signature was witnessed by an Upper Deck representative as part of UDA’s 5-step authentication process. This item is limited to 100.