75 years ago, a Chinese-Canadian broke the NHL colour barrier. Do you know his name? | 24CA News
For Chad Soon the tales of his hockey hero usually appeared unattainable to seek out.
“My grandfather told me about Larry Kwong when I was younger. My grandfather grew up in Vancouver’s Chinatown where he was a huge hero,” Soon remembers. “I would search for stories in my hockey books and hockey magazines but I could never find anything.”
It struck Soon, an elementary instructor from Vernon, B.C., that one thing wanted to alter.
In a time when Chinese Canadians didn’t have the best to vote, when the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented folks of Chinese origin from immigrating to Canada, a Chinese-Canadian child from British Columbia was excelling on the ice.
“Larry Kwong played against some of the best of all time, Jean Béliveau rated him as a great hockey player, Dickie Moore said he could do it all. Larry once scored two goals on Jacques Plante in 47 seconds,” mentioned Soon.
In 1946, Kwong started taking part in with the New York Rovers, the New York Rangers’ farm workforce. He was the main scorer and packed Madison Square Gardens with followers from town’s Chinese group. There had been rumours that 12 months that Kwong would get referred to as as much as the NHL nevertheless it didn’t occur.
“Player after player got called up ahead of him. I think (the NHL) was afraid of change.”
Kwong must wait two lengthy years however on March 13, 1948, his time lastly got here and for one single shift, Kwong skated within the NHL, a New York Ranger on the Montreal Forum.
“When you think about him stepping on the ice whether it’s with the Rangers, the Rovers, playing in the Quebec Senior Hockey League, and then eventually playing and coaching in Europe. He was breaking barriers everywhere,” mentioned Moezine Hasham, founding father of Hockey 4 Youth, a company that works to make hockey extra accessible to newcomer youth who might not in any other case have an opportunity to play.
“Larry meant so much to me. I had my fair share of racism going through the minor hockey system and I know that Larry faced racism too. The perseverance he showed is an inspiration for me but it’s also an inspiration for our kids to know that hockey can be a place of belonging,” Hasham mentioned.
Hasham and Soon are amongst a gaggle of supporters who are actually petitioning for Larry Kwong to be inducted into Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame in order that his story as a barrier-breaking builder of the game may be completely acknowledged.
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Hockey hero Larry Kwong passes away
“My grandfather never thought he was any kind of big deal himself,” Samantha Heinz mentioned of Larry Kwong, who died in March 2018 on the age of 94. “It wasn’t until Chad (Soon) came into his life that I think he realized that he really did make a difference and could share his story to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Heinz and her mom now spend time sharing Kwong’s story with the following technology, hoping to make sure his achievements are by no means forgotten.
“I think the more we can talk about his story and say here is someone in the hockey world that in a predominantly white sport we can share his story and let people know that he was there and he was ready to play.”
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