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“He shoots, he scores” “Absolutely deserved”: Hockey fans react as Kevin He scripts NHL history by signing entry-level contract with Jets
Winnipeg Jets' 2024 fourth-round draft pick Kevin He made history Tuesday as the first Chinese-born player to sign an NHL contract. The 18-year-old left winger from Beijing inked a three-year, entry-level deal with an average annual value of $975,000.
Hockey fans worldwide have come together to celebrate this historic signing.
"He shoots. He scores," one fan wrote.
"Absolutely deserved," another fan wrote.
Positive fan reactions have continued to pour in as fans learn of the news. One fan of Kevin He's current team, the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL, shared his thoughts on X.
"You made the Niagara IceDogs proud, Kevin!" he wrote.
Here are some more fan reactions.
"Congratulations! I love to see the sport of hockey grow," one fan wrote.
"He's a goal scorer in the OHL. Congratulations Kevin," another fan wrote.
Jets prospect Kevin He is enjoying his best statistical season in 2024-25
Kevin He played minor hockey for the North York Rangers and is now in his third season with the Niagara IceDogs. He was named captain of the team in October and is in the midst of his best statistical season, producing at over a point-per-game rate (23 goals, 20 assists, 43 points in 29 games).
The 6-foot, 181-pound forward has put up 130 points (75 goals and 55 assists) with the IceDogs.
Because He is still just 18 years old, he is ineligible to play for the Winnipeg Jets AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. He will look to finish a productive season in Niagara with the potential to jump to the AHL in the 2025-26 season. He will also have the opportunity to push for a spot on the Jets in training camp.
Kevin He was the second Chinese-born player to be drafted into the NHL, following in the footsteps of Andong Song, a sixth-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 2015. Song never signed a contract in the NHL, which makes He the first Chinese-born to have signed a contract in the league.
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