A young hockey phenomenon is continuing to make waves as the highest drafted Chinese-born player in NHL history, and his path to success started right here in the GTA.
“It means the world to me … to my family, to what I put into hockey, and to hockey back home in China,” Simon Wang shared with OMNI News.
Wang, who was born in China, grew up playing hockey in Toronto. In the 2025 NHL draft, he was the first pick of the second round and was selected 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks.
Wang hasn’t yet singed an official contract with the Sharks but had taken part in the team’s training as a prospect, practicing alongside some of the NHL’s top players and getting a first-hand look at professional hockey.
“It’s definitely special training with NHL guys every day … Definitely motivate[s] me every day,” shared Wang.
“Waking up thinking about, you know, you’re going to be on the ice with guys making $18 million a year, like, that thing is special to me.
“It’s not about the money. It’s more about making your dream come true.”
Wang first started playing hockey at the age of four in Beijing. At 12, he moved to Toronto, working his way through Ontario’s competitive hockey system. He was eventually reaching the OHL.
As a defenceman standing at six feet and six inches tall, he played for the Oshawa Generals and the Niagara IceDogs, where his strong performances helped him stand out among his peers.
“When I first came, I didn’t know where I was. Toronto was so unfamiliar to me,” Wang shared.
“I was living at my friend’s house at the time. My mum and dad [are] back home. I’m extremely homesick, and I’m glad that my friend really took care of me and then drove me to practice.”
He added the competition in Toronto helped him develop hockey-wise and in other ways.
“Throughout the years, living by myself, planning my schedules, being disciplined, definitely shaped me as a person as well,” he said.
For Wang, Toronto is more than just a city where his hockey dream began. It has become his second home and a launching pad to his success.
He said his next move is the NCAA in the U.S.
“My plan is definitely step my foot into the NCAA route and develop my hockey skills and be more polished for the next level. And then after two to three years when I’m ready for professional hockey, and then eventually I’ll turn pro,” Wang said.
He is heading to Boston University in the fall to continue pursuing his hockey dream. He’s already made history, but for a young hockey player his journey is only just the beginning.
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