Kevin He

Kevin He, 18, has made history by becoming the first hockey player born in China to sign an NHL contract, inking a three-year, entry-level deal with the Winnipeg Jets worth $975,000 per season at the NHL level, the Canadian hockey team announced on Wednesday.

"It's a dream come true," He said at Sphere Las Vegas after being selected by the Jets. "It's incredible, a huge honor."

Under the announcement posted by the Winnipeg Jets, many netizens congratulated He, with some describing his achievement as "well-deserved."

In June, He was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft (109th overall), becoming the highest-drafted Chinese-born player in NHL history and the second Chinese-born player ever drafted, following in the footsteps of Anton Song, who was picked by the New York Islanders in the sixth round (172nd overall) in 2015.

"This means a lot to me and my family," He said when asked about being the highest-drafted Chinese-born player in NHL history. "I grew up in China, so I had some chances to skate."

According to the local media Winnipeg Sun, He isn't sure how much attention his signing is garnering in China, where his maternal grandparents still reside. "I'm not too big on social media and haven't been paying too much attention on what's going on back home," he said. "But obviously it's made the news here."

Indeed, many Chinese netizens have closely followed He, calling him the "Beacon of Chinese Pride" on the internet.

A Chinese student and big hockey fan who studied at Queen's University in Canada, surnamed Sui, told the Global Times that in Canada, even within university teams, Chinese players are mostly found in sports like soccer, lacrosse, and golf. 

"There are very few Chinese players in ice hockey, and it would not be an exaggeration to call him a rising star in the world of ice hockey," Sui said.

Born in Beijing in 2006, He began ice skating at the age of 4 thanks to his father, who took him to small rinks in Beijing's malls. He got his first experience with organized hockey after his family moved to Montreal when he was 6.

While developing his hockey skills, He had to learn two new languages after arriving in Canada, as he primarily spoke Putonghua (Standard Chinese) in Beijing. He learned French while attending school in Montreal, Canada and English during a stay with relatives in Connecticut, the US, the NHL reported.

Currently, He plays for the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he is in his third season. On October 23, he was named the team's captain, becoming the first Chinese-born Canadian Junior Captain in OHL history.

The 18-year-old forward has had an impressive season so far, scoring 23 goals, 20 assists, and a total of 43 points in 29 games, ranking second in his team. Over his OHL career, He has played 159 games with the Niagara IceDogs, recording 130 points (75 goals, 55 assists).

According to usual practice, now that he has signed, He will first play in lower-tier leagues like the ECHL, the premier AA Hockey League and the American Hockey League (AHL), before potentially earning a chance to be promoted to the NHL.

"Looking at it now, he has great potential. For your information, he ranks fourth in goals scored in the OHL now, and 14th overall in combined goals and assists. He might even bypass the lower-tier ECHL leagues and go directly to the AHL, with a big chance of eventually being promoted to the NHL," Sui said.