Retired NHL forward Anthony Stewart was one of the first members of the coalition to post a video. He said he will always remember what O’Ree meant to him after he was selected by the Florida Panthers with the No. 25 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft.
“I was so nervous, ‘Gosh, am I part of the NHL,’ seeing all the NHL brass,” Stewart said. “After I put on the jersey, I left the stage, Willie was waiting for me. Willie came over, shook my hand and said, ‘Welcome to the NHL, everything’s going to be fine.’
“Actually, everything was fine after that. It went from nervous to confident just after shaking hands and meeting Willie O’Ree. A little interaction but for me, personally, it made a big, big difference.”
The party moved Wednesday from San Diego’s locker room to a ballroom inside the stadium, where O’Ree was surprised by a group of longtime friends.
“We drank tea, coffee and cake,” he said. “It was a good meeting.”
Source link
