Invited to watch his first hockey practice at an ice rink in Beijing, Haoxi Wang was no different than any impressionable, wide-eyed 4-year-old being fascinated by the equipment the players wore.
They resembled superheroes with sticks, uniforms and bulging pads, their faces hidden behind helmeted cages. This was before the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, when hockey was a niche sport in China and the NHL a mere pipe dream.
“It was definitely the gear,” the 6-foot-5, 215-pound — and still growing — defenseman who goes by Simon recalled at the NHL pre-draft scouting combine in Buffalo earlier this month.
This marked the start of a journey that saw a 12-year-old Wang move to Toronto and work his way up the junior ranks to play for the OHL Oshawa Generals. At 17, he is considered a candidate to be an early to mid-round pick in the NHL draft in Los Angeles this weekend.
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Wang’s journey from Beijing to Canada sets him to become 3rd Chinese-born player picked in NHL draft -
Can Canada break its ice hockey curse?For over 30 years, the winner of the National Hockey League's top prize has gone to an American team. It's a sorry legacy for a country where ice hockey is not just a sport, but part of the national identity. About 40% of players in the NHL, across all teams, are Canadian - more than any other country. Last year, the Oilers flopped during the final game of the seven-game series against the Florida Panthers. It's a sore point for many Canadians that the league's most die-hard fans have gone so long without a trophy, and yet remain willing to spend big money and travel big distances to support their team.