Greatest Asian Player

02m3smg

Registered User
Nov 14, 2006
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Toronto
aleague.com is the asian league, a few guys that i played with went over...varsity, jr.a level

even i got a try out offer :shakehead
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
185,669
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Fukufuji is the first Asian to be born in and play in Japan, or anywhere in Asia (excluding Russia or Kazakhstan) before coming over.
 

Form and Substance

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Jun 11, 2004
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Ok, first of all, Jim Paek completely stinks. You could possibly say most accomplished or most victorious Asian Player, but calling him the greatest is outright ridiculous. He's a nice guy (he came to a church fair once in place of Ken Wregget...which is ******** but whatever, and signed me an autograph), but was never really a factor for the Pens. Yea, he had a goal in game 6 of the 91 cup and a sick goal at that. It was however, the 8th goal of what ended as an 8-0 win for the Pens. Mike Lange is basically laughing when he scores because at that moment...when Jimmy Paek started lighting the lamp...it was absolutely certain the Pens would win their first cup.

Further, I don't know if I can see any asian countries making a major impact in hockey. At least not for 25 years or so. I feel almost as though their body types would not be condusive with the style of play you see in hockey. Most Asian athletes would be attracted to soccer (if smaller/normal height), or pushed into basketball if tall. I guess it's possible, just not likely.

That's a ridiculous statement. Maybe the fact that there aren't any asian trained hockey players has more to do with there not being ANY worthwhile developmental leagues over there or enough money put into it to warrant much attention. I'm sure if the Chinese really wanted to, they could have iced their own powerhouse national team like the soviets in the 60s and 70s. My guess that if any asian player made it, he would be fast, skilled and stocky in build.
 

BraveSirRobin

Ducks offseason
Feb 5, 2006
4,016
0
Yucaipa, CA
i know malhotra's is of Punjabi/Indian background but are there any other players in the league or minor leagues or whatever that is indian or from the indian sub-continent (india, pakistan, bangladesh)

San Jose drafted someone named Aniket Dhadphale (spelling?) in the mid 90's I believe. He used to play in the IHL, not sure if he's still playing or not.
 

fancy dan*

Guest
stay tuned.... at least in canada, asian hockey players are the fastest growing demographic in the minor hockey league ranks. its only a matter of time before we have a true asian nhl superstar... (besides kariya).
 

fancy dan*

Guest
Ok, first of all, Jim Paek completely stinks. You could possibly say most accomplished or most victorious Asian Player, but calling him the greatest is outright ridiculous. He's a nice guy (he came to a church fair once in place of Ken Wregget...which is ******** but whatever, and signed me an autograph), but was never really a factor for the Pens. Yea, he had a goal in game 6 of the 91 cup and a sick goal at that. It was however, the 8th goal of what ended as an 8-0 win for the Pens. Mike Lange is basically laughing when he scores because at that moment...when Jimmy Paek started lighting the lamp...it was absolutely certain the Pens would win their first cup.

Further, I don't know if I can see any asian countries making a major impact in hockey. At least not for 25 years or so. I feel almost as though their body types would not be condusive with the style of play you see in hockey. Most Asian athletes would be attracted to soccer (if smaller/normal height), or pushed into basketball if tall. I guess it's possible, just not likely.

wow. having lived in china for a number of years, the myth/stereotype of chinese people being small was dispelled countless times each day. its basically a numbers game. i would be shocked 10 times daily when an absolute monster of a chinese man/woman/boy/girl would get on the train, having to duck as to properly fit in.
 

Matsi

got paws?
Mar 22, 2005
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Chiricahua Mountains
San Jose drafted someone named Aniket Dhadphale (spelling?) in the mid 90's I believe. He used to play in the IHL, not sure if he's still playing or not.

Dhadphale still plays, last season he played over here in Switzerland for HC Langenthal (had a contract for 6 games, but it seems he only played 1) of the Swiss B League and also in France for Villard-de-Lans.
 

Nalyd Psycho

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
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wow. having lived in china for a number of years, the myth/stereotype of chinese people being small was dispelled countless times each day. its basically a numbers game. i would be shocked 10 times daily when an absolute monster of a chinese man/woman/boy/girl would get on the train, having to duck as to properly fit in.

Height is not at issue, it's body type. Yes, there are exceptions, but for a broad build you usually get that from Scandinavian, Germanic and African heritage. There are plenty of NHL ready builds from Chinese descent though, but don't expect the next great powerforward to be Chinese Canadian.
 

Oedi

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Dec 18, 2005
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Richmond Hill, ON
Height is not at issue, it's body type. Yes, there are exceptions, but for a broad build you usually get that from Scandinavian, Germanic and African heritage. There are plenty of NHL ready builds from Chinese descent though, but don't expect the next great powerforward to be Chinese Canadian.

Chinese people from North East China has the large, broad and tall build that you would be looking for. Most of my friends who were from that area are at least 6' tall and are generally big and broad. They are matched fairly well with those from the Scandanavian, Germanic and African heritage. Of course my friends cant skate worth a damn other then me so dont expect the next asian powerforward to come from them.
 

Nalyd Psycho

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Feb 27, 2002
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Chinese people from North East China has the large, broad and tall build that you would be looking for. Most of my friends who were from that area are at least 6' tall and are generally big and broad. They are matched fairly well with those from the Scandanavian, Germanic and African heritage. Of course my friends cant skate worth a damn other then me so dont expect the next asian powerforward to come from them.

I suspected there might be some regions, just not the regions that immegrate to Vancouver, seeing as Mongoli people can be more stout, so, naturally there'd be some shared genetic history, even if they were oft at war.
 

SneakerPimp82

Registered User
Apr 5, 2003
2,072
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Saint Louis, MO
Ilya Kovalchuk.

I mean, c'mon, he totally looks asian.

You'd be surprised, a lot of people who live in previously soviet controlled territories look very asian, especially toward the north and east.

As far as Asians not having the typical build for playing hockey...that's bull. Sure genetics play a role in the body type that you have, but nutrition/healthcare and economics(must be able to afford good food) plays a bigger role. There's a reason why the USA, despite being one of he richest nations in the world, has a fairly short group of people, especially when compared to certain industrialized nations(Holland, Sweden, Norway, Canada).

Basically, genetics outlines your potential growth, but nutrition and healthcare allows you to maximize that potential and also produce more people who surpass that potential. So if an Asian has a potential of 6 feet tall, if he's raised in a country with poor nutrition and healthcare, maybe he'll reach 5'8" and have a decent build. But with a better nutrition and training, the body might reach 5'10" or higher with obviously a thicker build.

Then you also have to factor in culture and climate as well and the role they play in athletics/developing athletes in different countries. For instance, there's a reason you haven't seen team Iraq in a lot of Olympics or international competitions in general. They have a soccer team and yea...that's about it. Of course that is an extreme example, but you can apply the same concept(how important the development of sport and athletics is) to different countries.
 

Phil Parent

Sorel, 'fant d'chienne!
Feb 4, 2005
15,833
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Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
The best full blooded born and bred Asian hockey player is/was Hiroyuki Miura of Japan. Yutaka Fukufuji might have beat him though.

Another Japanese played I believe it was in Sweden, and he could take a shot at the can too.

Here's a 1998 article on Japanese hockey.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/olympics1998/sport/hockey/articles/japan9.htm

I wouldn't expect a full blooded Japanese skater to make it, ever. But who knows, they may produce goalies someday, if the guys transfer to other leagues while in development.
 

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