Simon Wang makes history at NHL draft
LOS ANGELES – Simon Wang is still only 17 years old.
The journey that brought him to Peacock Theater on Saturday morning had already been long and winding.
Then he made history.
The San Jose Sharks chose the defenceman from the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals with the first pick of the NHL draft’s second round, making the six-foot-six, 222-pound Wang the highest-ever Chinese player selected at No. 33 overall.
“Unreal moment for my family, for hockey (in) China,” Wang said as he sported his new team’s teal threads. “Trying to soak it in.”
The teenager started playing hockey in Beijing at age four, but his family decided he needed more competition to develop following conversations with a friend already in Canada.
Wang moved to the Toronto area in 2019, and after heading home during the COVID-19 pandemic, returned to Ontario and enrolled in a private school. Wang’s mother, Willa, then bought a junior-A team in Brantford, Ont., and relocated it to Nobleton — roughly 125 kilometres away — where her son started to flourish.
The two other Chinese-born players drafted to the NHL are 2024 Winnipeg Jets fourth-round pick Kevin He and 2015 New York Islanders sixth-rounder Andong Song.
“I’m just getting started,” said Wang, who’s committed to eventually attend Boston University in the NCAA. “I never really knew this game, how it’s supposed to be played, until (age) 14. I’m always the underdog. Always have distance to catch up. I still have hunger in me, still have to drive that I’ve got to get better every single day.
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“That’s why I’m probably one of the most unique guys in the draft class.”
Wang started this season in junior-A before signing on in the OHL with the Generals, where he put up two assists in 32 games as he continued to grow into his body and learn the sport.
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Now he’s set a new draft benchmark.
“Definitely special,” Wang said. “I hope I’ve inspired a lot of kids back home, and hopefully one day my record gets broken — someone goes in the first round, maybe top-10. That’s probably the ultimate goal for Chinese hockey.
“There’ll definitely be someone that is going to make a huge impact on the game.”
It could very well be Wang.
DECENTRALIZED DRAFT
The league’s first-ever decentralized draft in a non-pandemic scenario — similar to the NFL and NBA, where teams make selections off-site — continued with the Montreal Canadiens trading up to get Alexander Zharovsky at No. 34.
The six-foot-one, 163-pound Russian winger had 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points across 45 games for Ufa on his country’s junior circuit this past season.
The Vancouver Canucks took goaltender Alexei Medvedev of the OHL’s London Knights at No. 47. The Russian went 22-8-2 with a .912 save percentage and 2.79 goal-against average for the Memorial Cup champions.
The Calgary Flames picked centre Theo Stockselius at No. 54. The six-foot-three, 196-pound centre put up 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 40 games in 2024-25 for Djurgardens’ developmental team in Sweden.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made their first pick OF the draft with the second round’s final selection, taking Tinus Luc Koblar, also out of the Swedish junior league, at No 64. The Norwegian centre had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 43 games for Leksands in 2024-25.
The Ottawa Senators made a trade with the Los Angeles Kings earlier in the day when they acquired defenceman Jordan Spence for a third-round pick this year and a 2026 sixth-rounder.
The Detroit Red Wings made the day’s biggest splash, adding John Gibson via trade from the Anaheim Ducks for fellow goaltender Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026.
Saturday’s third round saw Vancouver take centre Kieren Dervin (No. 65), Montreal grab centre Hayden Paupanekis (No. 69), and Calgary go with defenceman Maceo Phillips (No. 80) before the Canadiens took blueliner Bryce Pickford (No. 81) and goaltender Arseni Radkov (No. 82).
The Edmonton Oilers made their first pick of 2025 at No. 83 with winger Tommy Lafreniere. The Leafs then selected Tyler Hopkins at No. 86.
The centre from Campbellville, Ont. — just outside Toronto — grew up a fan of both the team and captain Auston Matthews.
“To wear this jersey, I can’t even describe the feeling,” said the 18-year-old. “That was the ultimate dream.”
Winnipeg took centre Owen Martin (No. 92) and Ottawa chose winger Blake Vanek (No. 93).
Ottawa opened the fourth round by selecting goaltender Lucas Beckman (No. 97), wingers Dmitri Isayev (No. 149) and Bruno Idzan (No. 181), along with netminder Andrei Trofimov (No. 213).
Montreal tabbed centre John Mooney (No. 113) and goaltender Alexis Cournoyer (No. 145). The Canadiens then added a trio of defencemen in Carlos Handel (No. 177), Andrew MacNiel (No. 189) and Maxon Vig (No. 209).
Edmonton plucked winger David Lewandowski (No. 117), defenceman Asher Barnett (No. 131), goaltender Daniel Salonen (No. 191) and centre Aiden Park (No. 223). Toronto grabbed winger William Belle (No. 137), winger Harry Nansi (No. 153), defenceman Bruno Idzan (No. 185) and winger Matthew Hlacar (No. 217).
Vancouver selected centre Wilson Bjorck (No. 143), winger Gabriel Chiarot (No. 175) and centre Matthew Lansing (No. 207). Calgary picked wingers Ethan Wyttenbach (No. 144) and Aiden Lane (No. 176), defenceman Jakob Leander (No. 208) and winger Yan Matveiko (No. 211).
Winnipeg wound up with winger Viktor Klingsell (No. 156), defenceman Edison Engle (No. 188) and winger Jacob Cloutier (No. 220).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Spirits maker Diageo will cease operations at its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., early next year, as it shifts some bottling volume to the U.S., the company announced on Thursday.
The facility, which bottles Crown Royal products, will close in February in a move aimed at improving its North American supply chain.
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About 200 jobs will be affected.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Marsha McIntosh, Diageo’s president of North America supply, said in a statement.
Diageo said it will engage with the community and find ways to support its employees through the transition, and work alongside Unifor to assist unionized workers.
The company said it will still maintain a “significant” footprint in Canada — including its headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and bottling and distillation facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.
McIntosh added the company’s Crown Royal products will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged at its Canadian facilities.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Toronto police say a 33-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly striking two men with his car Wednesday evening.
Officers say they responded to reports of a collision in the area of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard in the city’s North York neighbourhood just before 10:30 p.m.
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Police say two men got into an argument, leading to one man getting into his car and hitting the other man with it.
They say the man then put his car into reverse, striking a second man.
A man in his 50s was transported to hospital with serious injuries and the second man, in his 20s, had minor injuries.
Police say the suspect from Markham, Ont., faces several other charges as well, including two counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats and dangerous driving.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
A court document shows a Lindsay, Ont., man facing charges for allegedly breaking into an apartment was carrying a crossbow when he was confronted by a tenant.
The resident, Jeremy David McDonald, is also facing assault charges in the incident on Aug. 18 — a fact that has generated widespread interest in the case.
Police information filed in court alleges that Michael Kyle Breen damaged a window and screen at McDonald’s home and carried a crossbow.
The court document says the 41-year-old Breen is charged with break and enter, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with a probation order.
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Police have said that Breen, who is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing next week, was already wanted for unrelated offences.
McDonald, the 44-year-old resident, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he allegedly “did endanger the life” of Breen.
Premier Doug Ford blasted the decision to charge the apartment resident, saying last week that it shows “something is broken.”
Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson wrote in a statement Wednesday that he recognizes the incident has generated significant public interest and “emotional” responses, but called some of the reaction “unjust and inaccurate.”
Robertson wrote that individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property, but the law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced.
“This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances,” he wrote.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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