I have an interesting story on NHL.com that kicks off Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month and shows the impact and growth of people of A&PI heritage in all aspects of hockey. If you haven’t seen the story, please give it a read HERE.
Nine players with family ties to China, India, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and other Asian and South Asian countries have played in the NHL this season. There were several others who were on rosters of junior and professional minor league hockey teams in 2020-21. And more than 40 players of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage were on NCAA Division I and Division III men’s and women’s hockey rosters during the recently completed season.
Here are some of the players:
Go Uemura, forward, Wesleyan University.
Joyce Sun, defense, Wesleyan University.
Rei Halloran, goalie, Wesleyan University.
Suyeon Eom, forward, St. Lawrence University.
Noah Kim, defense, United States Air Force Academy.
Nina Shaikh, forward, Hamilton College.
Audrey Choi, forward, Hamilton College.
Siyeon Lee, forward, Trinity College.
Trevor Wong, center, Kelowna Rockets.
Trevor Wong, center, Kelowna Rockets, Western Hockey League. (Photo/Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze).
Tyler Inamoto, defense, University of Wisconsin.
Tyler Inamoto, defense, University of Wisconsin, Big Ten. He selected by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round (No. 133) of the 2017 NHL Draft. (Photo/UW Athletics).
Oliver Chau, forward, University of Massachusetts.
Oliver Chau, forward, University of Massachusetts, Hockey East.
Brendan Lee, left wing, Everett Silvertips, Western Hockey League.
Sammy May, left wing, Saskatoon Blades, Western Hockey League.
Marcus Nguyen, right wing, Portland Winterhawks.
Marcus Nguyen, right wing, Portland Winterhawks, Western Hockey League (Photo/Megan Connelly).
Jett Woo, defense, Utica Comets.
Jett Woo, defense, Utica Comets, American Hockey League. The Vancouver Canucks selected Woo in the second round (No. 37) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
Tia Chan, University of Connecticut.
Tia Chan, goalie, University of Connecticut, Hockey East.
Camryn Wong, defense, University of Connecticut.
Camryn Wong, defense, University of Connecticut, Hockey East.
Dani Castino, forward, Merrimack College.
Dani Castino, forward, Merrimack College, Hockey East (Photo/Jim Stankiewicz).
Emma Kee, forward, Princeton University.
Emma Kee, forward, Princeton University, ECAC Hockey (Photo/Shelly Szwast).
Akito Hirose, defense, Minnesota State University.
Akito Hirose, Minnesota State University, Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Kassy Betinol, forward, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Kassy Betinol, forward, University of Minnesota Duluth, Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Taylor Lum, forward, St. Lawrence University.
Taylor Lum, forward, St. Lawrence University, ECAC Hockey.
Anna Segedi, forward, St. Lawrence University.
Anna Segedi, forward, St. Lawrence University, ECAC Hockey.
Jayden Lee, defense, Quinnipiac University.
Jayden Lee, defense, Quinnipiac University, ECAC Hockey.
Jordan Sandhu, Arizona State University.
Jordan Sandhu, forward, Arizona State University, independent.
Peter Zhong, forward, Arizona State University.
Peter Zhong, forward, Arizona State University, independent.
Grace Lee, forward, Yale University.
Grace Lee, forward, Yale University, ECAC Hockey.
Kohei Sato, forward, University of New Hampshire.
Kohei Sato, forward, University of New Hampshire, Hockey East (Photos/Gil Talbot/China Wong).
Vivian Lu, defense, Brown University.
Vivian Lu, defense, Brown University, ECAC.
Yonghoon Choi, forward, Connecticut College.
Yonghoon Choi, forward, Connecticut College, New England Small College Athletic Conference.
Kayden Sadhra-Kang, defense, Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Kayden-Sadhra-Kang, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Western Hockey League (Photos/Erica Perreaux)
Arshdeep Bains, left wing, Red Deer Rebels.
Arshdeep Bains, left wing, Red Deer Rebels, Western Hockey League (Photos/ Rob Wallator).
Mariah Fujimagari, goalie, Connecticut Whale, National Women’s Hockey League (Photo/Michelle Jay/NWHL Images).)
Yuki Miura, forward, Lake Superior State University.
Yuki Miura, forward, Lake Superior State University, Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Photos/LSSU Athletics).
Jordan Spence, defense, Val-d’Or Foreurs, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round (No. 95) of the 2019 NHL Draft (Photo/ Dany Germain/LHJMQ).
Jordan Kawaguchi, forward, University of North Dakota.
Jordan Kawaguchi, forward, University of North Dakota, National Collegiate Hockey Conference (Photos/UND Athletics). The Dallas Stars signed Kawaguchi to a one-year entry level contract in March. He’s now playing for the Texas Stars, Dallas’ American Hockey League affiliate.
Sarah Takahashi, forward, Wesleyan University.
Sarah Takahashi, forward, Wesleyan University, New England Small College Athletic Conference.
Maddie Hong, forward, Hamilton College.
Maddie Hong, forward, Hamilton College, New England Small College Athletic Conference (Photo/Josh McKee).
Bryan Yoon, defense, Colorado College.
Bryan Yoon, defense, Colorado College, National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Chad Sasaki, defense, Colorado College.
Chad Sasaki, defense, Colorado College, National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Ana Tittmann, forward, Manhattanville College.
Ana Tittmann, forward, Manhattanville College, United Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Matt Hayami, forward, Princeton University.
Matt Hayami, forward, Princeton University, ECAC Hockey.
Cliff Pu, forward, Cleveland Monsters.
Cliff Pu, forward, Cleveland Monsters, American Hockey League. He was originally selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round (No. 69) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
Kaz Matsuo, defense, St. Olaf College.
Kaz Matsuo, defense, St. Olaf College, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Renee Hoffmann, forward, Long Island University.
Renee Hoffmann, forward, Long Island University, New England Women’s Hockey Alliance.
Julia Hoffmann, defense, Long Island University.
Julia Hoffman, defense, Long Island University, New England Women’s Hockey Alliance.
Twin sisters Renee (left) and Julia Hoffmann, Long Island University.
Aaron Pinto, defense, Williams College.
Aaron Pinto, defense, Williams College, New England Small College Athletic Conference.
Noah Poindexter, forward, Nichols College.
Noah Poindexter, forward, Nichols College, Commonwealth Coast Conference (Photo/Brian Foley for Nichols College Athletics).
Darci Johal, forward, College of the Holy Cross.
Darci Johal, forward, College of the Holy Cross, Hockey East.
Jonathan Ang, forward, HC Thurgau, Swiss League. Ang became the first player of Malaysian descent drafted by an NHL team when the Florida Panthers chose him in the fourth round (No. 94) of the 2016 draft (Photo/(© Charpy Sports Photography/Marco Zimmermann).
Alex Lee, forward, Middlebury College.
William Lee, forward Middlebury College.
Andong Song, defense, Cornell University, ECAC Hockey. Song became the first China-born player drafted by an NHL team when the New York Islanders selected him in the sixth round (No. 172) of the 2015 draft (Photo/Eldon Lindsay/Cornell Athletics).
Andong Song, defense, Cornell University, ECAC Hockey (Photo/Ned Dykes/Cornell Athletics)