by – David McPherson
Cambridge, ON – from Beijing, China to Oshawa, Ontario — with hundreds of laps around rinks far and wide in between — Haoxi Simon Wang’s hockey story is only just beginning.
At 6-foot-6, 210-pounds, Wang towers over most opponents; his size is just one of his ever-growing on-ice assets. The defenseman is also an excellent skater and puck-handler. Wang’s discipline and desire to improve and learn was revealed in this interview with Tony Ferrari on his Game Tape podcast when the host asked him why scouts should take notice:
“I have an unreal passion for the game and I want to be the best version of myself … I have a notebook where I write daily goals I want to accomplish and review them before I go to bed.”
Wang does not have to worry about getting noticed. NHL scouts are already regularly flocking to see the Chinese-born wonder play. NHL.com called Wang an “intriguing prospect” and just this week the Daily Faceoff listed him as a “Top 10 Defenseman You Need to Know.”
Wang committed to Boston University in September 2023 and played his rookie season in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) with the King Rebellion. On Dec. 2, 2024, the Oshawa Generals signed Wang from the Rebellion to an OHL Scholarship & Development Agreement. When he signed with Oshawa, his 17 points in 29 games led all Rebellion defensemen.
Chasing hockey dreams from China to Toronto
So how did the Beijing born Wang end up in Canada and become a top prospect in the first place? The following story has been shared in many interviews about his epiphany and how he discovered the game of hockey. When he was in kindergarten a friend told him about a “new sport” coming up at the local rink and took him to one of his practices. It was like one of those moments when a future musician hears live music for the first time: Wang fell in love immediately with all things about the game and strapped on a pair of hockey skates for the first time when he was just four-years-old.
When he was 12-years-old, Wang moved to North America to follow the lead of a family friend who was playing hockey in Toronto and encouraged him by saying that if he really wanted to take his game to the next level, he needed to be in Canada. The rest is history.
Come July, the top prospect is sure to make more history — and add to his hockey story — when it’s expected he’ll become the third-ever Chinese-born player selected in the NHL draft, following 2024 Winnipeg Jets fourth-rounder Kevin He and 2015 New York Islanders sixth-rounder Andong Song. Vernon, B.C. born Larry Kwong, though his appearance was brief (just one shift for the New York Rangers during the 1947-48 season) was the first player of Chinese descent to play in the NHL.
Learn more about Simon Wang’s journey from Beijing to one of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL draft in this profile penned last fall by Ryan Kennedy, Editor in Chief of The Hockey News.
About the Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) was founded on November 27, 1890, and is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior hockey in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is a Member Partner of the Ontario Hockey Federation which is one of thirteen Provincial and Regional Branches of Hockey Canada.
It is comprised of three Junior hockey leagues and two Senior hockey leagues: Junior A – Ontario Junior Hockey League; Junior B – Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League; Junior C – Provincial Junior Hockey League, Senior – Allan Cup Hockey (AAA) and Ontario Elite Hockey League (AA). For the 2023-24 season, these five leagues encompass 125 teams.
The objectives of the OHA are to foster and encourage the sport of amateur hockey, to conduct competition in the various categories established, to determine teams for entry into the inter-branch competitions that may be provided by Hockey Canada, and to provide for the affiliation of other hockey organizations.
The OHA provides administrative resources, coordinates programs, services and events for hockey participants and provides support to various Development Programs for coaches, officials, trainers and players, Safety and Risk Management Issues and offers resources for Harassment and Abuse education.
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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact:
Chris McCleary
General Manager, Operations & Marketing
Ontario Hockey Association
