Sharks make historic pick in second round, and it's absolutely perfect

Ten years after the first-ever player born in China was drafted into the NHL, the San Jose Sharks made history drafting Simon Wang at No. 33 in the second round at the 2025 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old becomes the highest drafted Chinese player in NHL history, and is poised to make a splash on the blueline.

Wang is just the third China-born skater to have his name called at the draft. Last year, Kevin He was drafted at No. 109 overall by the Winnipeg Jets, and Andong Song broke the cultural barrier in 2015 when he was selected by the New York Islanders at No. 172 overall.

Wang, whose Chinese first name is Haoxi, had a historically unique journey to the draft. He left his home in Beijing at the age of 12, making a 6,500-mile trip to Canada in order to start his junior hockey career. From there, he began training and eventually made it to the Greater Toronto Hockey League playing Triple-A at age 15.

But his love for hockey was sparked much earlier, when a good friend of his took him along to the local rink for practice one day when they were just four years old.

"I really didn’t start learning this game until I was 14. ... My move from coming to Toronto by myself and never take a no for an answer and just stick to the grind, believe in yourself, have confidence in who you are as a person and a player, and that’s what they can learn from me."

Simon Wang, via Buffalo Hockey Beat

Wang began this past season with the King Rebellion of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, tallying 22 points in 36 games, but soon made the leap to the OHL's Oshawa Generals. There, he recorded two asissts in 32 regular season games, finishing with a +3 rating.

Wang is committed to Boston University for the upcoming season, further putting on display his meteoric rise to high-level hockey. BU sports one of the best hockey programs of the nation, so that speaks to his ability to compete among some extremely talented peers.

Wang's solid defensive play a wonderful fit for San Jose

For a guy who didn't start developing his hockey skills until the age of 14, you would never know it watching Wang skate every game.

Elite Prospects has described that "you get all the advantages of size without the usual drawbacks that come with it." Standing at 6'6" and 228 lb, Wang's massive frame does not limit him like it does some other prospects. He is a smooth skater with tremendous technical skills, marking the most well-developed aspect of his gameplay.

Of course, at his size, Wang's reach stands out as well when he uses the stick to break up offensive chances in the defensive zone. He's not one to shy away from putting his body on the line, effectively blocking shots but also landing crunching hits. His defensive details are very fine-tuned, and the next step is further improving his passing

Wang is continuing to learn how to manage risk vs. reward, but he has done so efficiently in his first OHL season. He is more at home in his own zone than he is joining a rush, but Wang is more than capable of making a clean outlet pass to exit the defensive zone.

When it comes to NHL comparisons, Wang compares himself to Mason Lohrei, a strong Bruins defender that can still distribute the puck nicely. That's the type of player Wang hopes to develop into as his career continues.

All of this bodes well for his future with San Jose. The Sharks have always had an affinity for offensive puck-moving defenders with a defensive upside like Erik Karlsson and Mario Ferraro. Wang brings a level of toughness that the blueline sorely needs after losing someone like Marc-Eduoard Vlasic to buyout.

Sharks fans should be thrilled to follow Wang's development in the NCAA next season as he prepares for NHL action down the line. He might be at minimum one year off, possibly longer, but Wang is worth the wait.