Campaign to induct the NHL’s first Asian player into the Hall of Fame

Larry Kwong played just one shift in the NHL nearly 75 years ago. But supporters have launched a campaign to have him considered for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

When Kwong laced up for the New York Rangers on March 13, 1948, he made history, becoming the first person of color to play in an NHL game.

“Larry broke the color barrier, if only for a minute. But it was such a monumental achievement given everything that was against him,” said Vernon, BC, teacher Chad Soon, who first learned about Kwong’s story from his grandfather and later met the man himself and brought him to his school to speak with the students. .

Kwong was born in Vernon, and the talented forward faced fierce discrimination against Asian Canadians when he tried to pursue a hockey career in the late 1940s.

At age 23, Kwong was eventually signed by the Rangers and assigned to the farm team.

“He’s leading the team in scoring in his second year, but will see when player after player with lower stats and lower ability gets the call to the big team instead of him,” said Soon, who added that Kwong drew large crowds, then a farm team player in New York.

Bowing to public pressure, the Rangers finally called Kwong up for a single NHL game in Montreal in 1948. He was benched for the first and second periods, playing only one shift late in the third before being sent back to the farm.

“He realizes at that moment that the Rangers are not interested in bringing diversity into the game,” Soon said. Kwong then signed with the Quebec league, where he won scoring titles and was named MVP.

“Normally, that would be a ticket to the NHL. But for Larry, it wasn’t. Neither team was interested in a Chinese player,” Soon said. “It’s 10 years before Willie O’Ree would come into the league like that first black player. So Larry used to joke that he was born a little too early.”

Kwong was born in Vernon, and the talented forward faced fierce discrimination against Asian Canadians when he tried to pursue a hockey career in the late 1940s.

Kwong’s fight to overcome racism in hockey has been an inspiration to Moezine Hasham, the founder of Hockey 4 Youth.

“It’s not that he wasn’t a good player, it’s just unfortunately discrimination that held him back,” Hasham said. “When it comes to hockey, it’s so critically important that we be able to amplify his story, share his story.”

Hasham says it’s the best way to induct Kwong into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the construction category.

“These are stories that the hockey world needs to celebrate more, we need to shine a light on it more,” he said.

And supporters believe that 2023 would be an appropriate year to celebrate Kwong.

“The remarkable thing about next year is that it would be the 75th anniversary of him breaking into the league and it would also have been his 100th birthday in 2023. So I think the history is there. I think now is all the heavy lifting and hard work,” said Hasham.

Christopher Woo has set up a petition to gather signatures for the Hall of Fame effort.

“The more signatures we get, the more it will be noticed by someone at Hockey Fall of Fame or the committee members,” Woo said.

As a hockey player himself, he can’t imagine the kind of racism Kwong must have faced trying to play the sport he loved.

“I know it was hard, even growing up in the ’90s. I was called everything under the sun,” Woo said. “I think hockey has become more inclusive over the years, and telling Larry’s history and show the endurance is another stop to increase diversity in hockey.”

Soon, the hope is that the Hall of Fame campaign will succeed.

“I think it’s about time,” he said. “His story is one that we must hold dear and hold on to because it is such an inspiring story. His inclusion in the hall will guarantee that it will not be forgotten.”