Simon Wang`s path in hockey has led him to San Jose.
The 17-year-old native of Beijing was chosen by the San Jose Sharks as the 33rd overall pick, the first selection of the second round, during the NHL Entry Draft held Saturday in Los Angeles.
Wang spent his childhood in China before moving to Toronto at the age of 12 to pursue his aspirations in hockey. He is now just the third player born in China ever to be selected in the NHL draft.
The defenseman, who stands six-foot-five and weighs 215 pounds, first began skating at age four and quickly developed a deep passion for the sport.
Despite registering only two assists in 32 games last season with the OHL`s Oshawa Generals, scouts are highly impressed by his physical stature combined with his skating ability.
“I might still be behind a lot of guys in this draft, but my potential, what I can become as a player, that’s what’s really exciting about me,” Wang commented at the draft combine in June.
Sportsnet analyst Jason Bukala had evaluated Wang as the 64th-ranked prospect on his most recent list, projecting him as a potential bottom-pairing defenseman at the NHL level.
“He needs time, but he has a baseline skill set that is attractive in this range of the draft,” Bukala wrote regarding Wang`s potential.
Neville Woodall 
Duncan Priestley