04/18/24
January 23, 2008
The Unsung Career of Larry Kwong: : In the wake of the celebrations for Willie O'Ree and Herb Carnegie, the Globe & Mail profiles another groundbreaking player who's received rather less fanfare: "Unlike a scoring record, his legacy as the first NHL player of Asian ancestry can never be broken, bettered or taken away. It can only be ignored."
posted by chicobangs to hockey at 01:08 PM - 14 comments
chico, c'mon now, Paul Kariya. And his brother whose name I can't recall. I saw Richard Park playing in the UK in 2002. I think he was with Nottingham.
posted by gspm at 08:04 PM on January 23, 2008
Very nice story Chico, typical of the NHL, most of whoms fans think that that goal tenders always wore masks and skaters helmets, Native Americans have been a rarity in the majors as well. Perhaps because hockey is not an inexpensive sport hence.
posted by thatch at 09:38 AM on January 24, 2008
Yeah, Kariya, okay, I guess you're right. Also: Jamie Storr. I'm positive there are others. Oh, and I finally checked: Larry Kwong does not appear to be any relation to the great Normie Kwong, who has the distinction of having his name on both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup.
posted by chicobangs at 10:09 AM on January 24, 2008
Wasn't there a guy named Pak who played defense for the Devils?
posted by yerfatma at 10:09 AM on January 24, 2008
Jim Paek might be who you're thinking of, yerfatma. However, he played for Ottawa, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.
posted by tommybiden at 11:12 AM on January 24, 2008
Wait, Jim Paek is the one I am thinking of. He'd won a cup in Pittsburgh. And then he played in the UK.
posted by gspm at 11:25 AM on January 24, 2008
Yeah, Jim Paek is it. I knew it was on a team that creamed the Bruins on a regular basis in the '90s. I just didn't go back far enough.
posted by yerfatma at 11:27 AM on January 24, 2008
...on a team that creamed the Bruins on a regular basis in the '90s... That does not narrow the field very much.
posted by Howard_T at 12:08 PM on January 24, 2008
Not so, at least in the early '90s. It was really just the Penguins until '93 or so. Basically, I left for college and they fell apart.
posted by yerfatma at 01:17 PM on January 24, 2008
See what you get for all your high-fallutin' college education?
posted by tahoemoj at 02:59 PM on January 24, 2008
Aw - this guy deserves some recognition. None of that could have been easy for a Chinese Canadian during that time. However, the guy played one shift. It's about as technical as you can get for first times. Still worth a Larry Kwong Day at MSG, though. Or the Canucks could scoop it and do a Larry Kwong Day when the Rangers come to town. Wouldn't have to be much. A painting/plaque, a short introduction and a puck drop. I see no harm there - no terrible precident where we'd have to start celebrating the first Croat, Serbian, Swiss, Chinese-Swiss or that kind of thing. Little known fact - first Chinese-Swiss hockey player - Reginald Roderick "Chuck" Fungerer. Played 3 years in the now-defunt Iron League for the Moose Factory Moosoneers from 1928-30. Only had half an eye. Okay I made that up.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:38 PM on January 24, 2008
How about Brad Park?
posted by thatch at 06:48 PM on January 24, 2008
Come to think of it I believe that Tiger Williams may have been half Chinese. For you youngsters Tiger couldn't skate but he sure could fight.
posted by thatch at 06:52 PM on January 24, 2008
Not that there have been tons of them over the years (Richard Park, who was actually born in Seoul, is the only other one I can think of off the top of my head, though I'm sure there have been at least a few others), but this seems like his making the NHL, even for a game, should be a slightly bigger deal than it is.