Simon Wang’s First Media Availability As A San Jose Shark

Simon Wang’s First Media Availability As A San Jose Shark

you’re Locked on Sharks your daily podcast on the San Jose Sharks part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day it’s a unreal moment for my family from Hive China and you know just really surreal moment dream come true moment that trying to soak it in right now when did this become a reality to you know start consider yourself that I’m going to get drafted to the NHL this year
i think it’s it started off this season at the start I was going off and seeing so many scouts and the junior a barn who was just start hitting me because this summer before the season I thought I was going undrafted to be honest with you but it happened for a reason and I worked so hard for this and I think I deserve to be here and Yeah
your season I mean jumping from junior A to the OL with Ashawa how much did your game grow as the season went along jumping between two teams
i think my game proved mature like way too mature um you know just the system playing against better players just made me a different player and going into next year it’s only going to help my development even more
and how much do you think that playoff run with Ashawa helped showcase you to NHL teams i think showcase me that I can play in the against the best team in the OL and show my confidence regardless of my ice time and just how competitive I am as a player
you’re a young guy but it’s already been a long journey how do you how do you look back at that so far start to getting here
i think it’s I’m just getting started i never really know this game how I was supposed to be playing until 14 so I’m always the underdog always have distance to catch up so I still have the hunger in me still have the drive that I got to get better every single day to catch up to them and that’s why I’m probably one of the most unique guy in the draft class right now
what does it mean to you to be a third Chinese player drafting the NHL it’s definitely special and I hope I’ve inspired a lot of kids back home and hopefully one day my record get broken again someone go in the first round and be top 10 that’s probably the ultimate goal for Chinese hockey and I think they’ll definitely be someone that is gonna make a huge impact on the game you have a lot of people back home watching maybe in China wherever you know in Canada wherever it might be just what is there you want to like send a message you think to help get you
i think shout out to my dad you know he couldn’t make it for several reasons but you know as a role model of mine and growing up obviously his hustle at work just kind of make um develop my characteristic and yeah
you hadn’t seen your brother in a year and a half but he made it out there to the draft in LA just how cool was it to have him around and be surrounded by your family this whole time i think it’s meant to be honestly because you know yesterday he wasn’t here with us because his fight landed like 8:00 but obviously made it this morning got called first pick in the second round it’s I think just meant to be
which first game do you prefer going forward
i think let’s uh Simon because simple for North American terms
i’m I’m curious i went to Beijing with the Kings and the Canucks
wow
like did you were you around then i don’t know
i was around i actually watched the uh Chains Against the Flames game in Beijing
okay
so that was a pretty sick environment i think it was the next year okay what do you remember from that so you’re in you’re in Beijing watching an NHL game i was 10 years old to be honest but I just remember the environment was unreal and you know seeing all these phenomenal talent out there just
really want to be there one day
mhm
what does the Olympics there have helped you with the goal of making how many games i think sorry just about having the hockey they didn’t the NHL was supposed to go in 2020 but just having the the hockey tourn how did that help you and all the push of hockey from that event in China I think I came to Toronto when I was playing in like 2019 so I wasn’t there for the Olympics but it definitely pushed the like Chinese hockey to develop a step um further but then like so much story talent there like future like Owen Power L so kids can watch him and learn from him so it’s I think it’s huge
and then I know you were 10 and your memory probably isn’t great but I want to make sure I got it right so in 2015 the Bruins play the Flanks do you think that was it or do you think it was Bruins Against the Flank
bruins Against the Flanks is there anything else you remember just like the sights the sounds was that your first exposure obviously your first NHL game you ever saw that was my um I wouldn’t say that my first Oh my first game was ever uh was in Los Angeles actually
was it
it was in Los Angeles i came here when I was 10
my brother and went on a little trip here from Los Angeles San Fran i watched LA Kings played against
the Flames that’s what it was
no way
right here yeah so pretty sick moment but I fall asleep i fall asleep i couldn’t even finish the whole game so
So that was You were 10 it was in LA right across right across right across
that’s crazy here you are today
wow
yeah so when you went to the game in China like who who were you with were you with teammates family do you remember my family was definitely there but I couldn’t remember much
sorry to keep digging but the the Kings did I remember when I went to Beijing they did a clinic with kids at a rink and I don’t know which rink that you used to skate at or your mom built i don’t know if I know
okay
for Sharks fans who maybe are unfamiliar with who you are who would you say you model your your game after is there a specific player you look up to that you try to emulate i think in when it’s all said and done fully develop i could be a extremely dangerous to defenseman i’ll say I model my game after headman depends how I develop i can go through um different rank i could be top pairing where I can do five six shutdown all depends how I develop as a player because I’m my skating ability and my size is kind of uniform skill so we’ll see how it goes when you look at that development you see the Sharks where they are where they have Will Smith and Salrini and and the picks you know Michael Misa and and I know you’re you’re friends with Josh Raven you see that core and to be part of that is that does that excite you as a player like you’re in an up and cominging environment to help with that development as well
100% i think you know with all these star players in the for and as a DM really excited to join them and you know better players help helped you develop as well and I can’t wait to see them develop camp and main camp just went by you went to to San Francisco as well
yes
did you see San Jose at all did you did you able I know it’s not terribly close but are you familiar with San Jose at all i mean have you ever been out to that area
no I have not been in uh San Jose so that’s why I’m really excited to go there
do you know anybody else in the organization has anybody reached out and told you what it might be like no I have I only I only know Joshua from that organization right now but we’ll see all my boys just got drafted nice
where do you go
looks like Vancouver
vancouver okay you you know Josh is I mean how cool is it that you know going to dev camp next week you know guy who’s going to be there you’re familiar with how much easier does that make it just to have a guy that you’re comfortable with that you can kind of talk with and chat and know
I think it’s just like unreal like friendship that we can continue going on I think it’s meant to be as well you know meeting him in the combine getting really close with him obviously and he really wanted to get drafted at the same place as I am so extremely excited for our friendship in the future and we’ll see how it goes
yeah that was my next question is when did you guys meet you had no idea who the sharks were going to pick him yesterday do you have any sharks were going to take you
i kind of knew a little bit but I wasn’t sure anything could happen here and I I just want to enjoy the moment with my family and which I did so really just really excited
uh what’s the plan and I know you’re you’re going to be going to college kind of what’s that plan for you over the next couple seasons
so next year I’m looking forward to go back to Louis Shaw and keep developing my game throughout both sides and the year after if I dominate the league and did what I wanted to do in the league I would go to college and keep developing over there and eventually turn pro
um and then you there’s a lot of Sharks who have been in the OHL right michael Miso the Sharks picked yesterday of course you guys played against uh like Sam Dickinson what’s it like some of those guys who are going to be eventually your teammates uh can you speak to any about any of those guys
i think they’re just great players and ultimate competitors playing against Sam Dickinson in the finals you know see how he competes how he plays the game which really opened my eyes a little bit and learned a ton from him as well breaking down his films and I haven’t played against Michael yet you know he always growing up he always played in Europe so it’s kind of too good for me but eventually we’ll be teammates hopefully so that that’s that’s unreal later I think hopefully I inspire a lot of kids from China and one day they’ll break my record hopefully and I’ll be extremely proud of them and cheer them on great thank you

Simon Wang meets with the media after being the 33rd pick in the NHL Draft.

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