GGOATRANK
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Ice Hockey · Winger · Canada

Willie O'Ree

1956–1979 · Broke the NHL colour barrier with Boston in 1958 and later a Hall of Famer.

Retired
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
76.2
Cultural & brand footprint 48/100 · total legacy 69.9
NHL games played
45
Professional seasons
21
WHL scoring titles
2
Hockey Hall of Fame inductions
1
Career professional goals
328

Category profile

Dominance
64
Peak
78
Longevity
88
Honours
78
Statistics
76

Career timeline · Points per season

SeasonPoints per seasonShare of career
19584
195910
196021
196128
196238
196330
196425
196520
196618
196714
196810
19698

Data sources

  • NHL
  • Hockey Reference
  • IIHF

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Willie O'Ree ranks #150 in Ice Hockey

Willie O'Ree ranks 150th among Ice Hockey athletes on GOAT Rank and 1890th of 2289 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 76.2 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 64, Peak 78, Longevity 88, Honours 78, Statistics 76. Those categories are normalised against the full Ice Hockey reference universe of 399 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 1956–1979 with 12 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 1962, which sets the Peak component at 78. Longevity is the defining strength of the profile at 88 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes nhl games played 45, professional seasons 21, whl scoring titles 2, hockey hall of fame inductions 1.

Immediately ahead sits Manon Rhéaume on 76.3, a gap of 0.1 points. Directly behind is Scotty Davidson on 71.9. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Willie O'Ree GOAT Score explained

Dominance64/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far O'Ree stood above the field while competing. Scored 64/100 against the full Ice Hockey cohort.
Peak78/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 1962. Scored 78/100.
Longevity88/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 23 years of competition and 12 recorded seasons. Scored 88/100.
Honours78/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 78/100.
Statistics76/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 76/100.

Willie O'Ree — frequently asked

Is Willie O'Ree the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Willie O'Ree ranks 150th in Ice Hockey with a GOAT Score of 76.2, behind Wayne Gretzky on 97.8.
What is Willie O'Ree's GOAT Score?
76.2 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 64 (25%), Peak 78 (20%), Longevity 88 (20%), Honours 78 (20%), Statistics 76 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Willie O'Ree rank all time?
1890th of 2289 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 150th within Ice Hockey.
Willie O'Ree vs Manon Rhéaume: who ranks higher?
Manon Rhéaume, on 76.3 against Willie O'Ree's 76.2 — a margin of 0.1 points.
Compare with Gretzky