Los Angeles – Simon Wang is only 17 years old.
The journey that brought him to the Peacock Theater on Saturday morning had already been long and winding.
Then he made the story.
The San Jose Sharks have chosen the defender of Oshawa Generals of the Ontario hockey league with the first choice of the second round of the NHL recovery, making six -inch Wang and 222 pounds the highest Chinese player selected in n ° 33 in total.
“An unreal moment for my family, for hockey (in) China,” said Wang, wearing the sarcelle’s sons of her new team. “Try to soak it.”
The teenager started playing hockey in Beijing at the age of four, but his family decided that he needed more competitions to develop conversations after a friend already in Canada.
Wang moved to the Toronto region in 2019, and after returning home during the Covid-19 pandemic, returned to Ontario and enrolled in a private school. Wang’s mother Willa, then bought a Junior -A team from Brantford, Ontario, and moved it to Nobleton – about 125 kilometers – where her son began to flourish.
The other two players of Chinese origin written in the NHL are the choice of fourth round in 2024 Winnipeg, Kevin He, and the sixth round of the New York Islanders 2015 Andong Song.
“I am only just starting,” said Wang, who has finally committed to frequenting the University of Boston in the NCAA. “I have never really known this match, how it is supposed to be played, up to (age) 14 years. I’m still the oppressed. I always have a distance to catch up. I’m always hungry in me, I still have to drive that I have to improve myself every day.
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“This is why I am probably one of the most unique guys in the draft class.”
Wang started this season in Junior-A before signing in the Ontario League with the generals, where he has deposited two assists in 32 games when he continued to grow in his body and learn sport.
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Now he has established a new reference.
“Certainly special,” said Wang. “I hope I have inspired a lot of children at home, and I hope that one day my record will be broken – someone goes in the first round, maybe the top 10. This is probably the ultimate goal of Chinese hockey.
“There will certainly be someone who will have a huge impact on the game.”
It could very well be Wang.
Decentralized draft
The very first decentralized draft of the League in a non -pandemic scenario – similar to the NFL and the NBA, where the teams make out -of -site selections – continued with the Montreal Canadians to obtain Alexander Zharovsky at n ° 34.
The Russian winger six feet one and 163 pounds collected 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points in 45 games for UFA on the junior circuit of his country last season.
The Vancouver cannucks took the goalkeeper Alexei Medvedev, London Knights from the ONTHL, at No. 47. The Russian went 22-8-2 with a percentage of safeguard of .912 and an average of 2.79 goals for the Memorial Cup champions.
The Flames de Calgary chose the Center Theo Stockselius at n ° 54. The center of six feet three feet and 196 pounds collected 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 40 games in 2024-25 for the Djurgardens development team in Sweden.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made their first choice of draft with the final selection of the second round, taking Tinus Luc Koblar, also outside the Swedish junior league, at No. 64. The Norwegian Center collected 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 43 games for Leksands in 2024-25.
The Ottawa senators trade with the Kings of Los Angeles earlier during the day when they acquired defender Jordan Spence for a third round choice this year and a sixth round in 2026.
The Red Wings of Detroit made the biggest splashes of the day, adding John Gibson via the trade of the Ducks of Anaheim for his colleague goalkeeper Petr Mrazek, a second round choice in 2027 and a fourth round in 2026.
The third round of Saturday saw Vancouver take the Kieren Dervin center (n ° 65), the center of Montreal Grab Hayden Paupanekis (n ° 69), and Calgary Go with the defender Maceo Phillips (n ° 80) before the Canadians took Blueliner Bryce Pickford (n ° 81) and the manager of the Arseni Radkov (n ° 82).
Edmonton’s Oilers made their first choice from 2025 to n ° 83 with the winger Tommy Lafreniere. The Leafs then selected Tyler Hopkins at No. 86.
Campbellville center, have. – Just outside Toronto – grew up a fan of the team and captain Auston Matthews.
“To wear this jersey, I can’t even describe the feeling,” said the 18 -year -old. “It was the ultimate dream.”
Winnipeg took the Owen Martin center (n ° 92) and Ottawa chose the Blake Vanek winger (n ° 93).
Ottawa opened the fourth round by selecting the goalkeeper Lucas Beckman (n ° 97), the Ailiers Dmitri Isayev (n ° 149) and Bruno Idzan (n ° 181), with goalkeeper Andrei Trofimov (n ° 213).
Montreal has tabuated the John Mooney center (n ° 113) and the goalkeeper Alexis Cournoyer (n ° 145). The Canadians then added a trio of defenders to Carlos Handel (n ° 177), Andrew Macniel (n ° 189) and Maxon Vig (n ° 209).
Edmonton snatched the winger David Lewandowski (n ° 117), defender Asher Barnett (n ° 131), goalkeeper Daniel Salonen (n ° 191) and Center Aiden Park (n ° 223). Toronto caught the winger William Belle (n ° 137), the winger Harry Nansi (n ° 153), defender Bruno Idzan (n ° 185) and winger Matthew Hlacar (n ° 217).
Vancouver has selected the Wilson Bjorck center (n ° 143), the winger Gabriel Chiarot (n ° 175) and the Matthew Lansing center (n ° 207). Calgary chose the wingers Ethan Wytenbach (n ° 144) and Aiden Lane (n ° 176), defender Jakob Leander (n ° 208) and the winger Yan Matveiko (n ° 211).
Winnipeg ended up with the winger Viktor Klingsell (n ° 156), defender Edison Engle (n ° 188) and winger Jacob Cloutier (n ° 220).
This Canadian press report was published for the first time on June 28, 2025.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press