Larry Kwong
Canadian ice hockey player
Died when: 94 years 271 days (1136 months)Star Sign: Gemini
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Lawrence Kwong (born Eng Kai Geong;Chinese: ???;June 17, 1923 – March 15, 2018) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who was the first non-white and Asian descent player in the National Hockey League (NHL).
He broke the NHL's colour barrier when he debuted with the New York Rangers in 1948, playing a short shift at the end of the third period.
Although denied much playing time in the NHL, Kwong was a top player in senior hockey leagues outside the NHL throughout his entire career and battled the likes of Jean Beliveau for the scoring race in Quebec.
Kwong came from a Cantonese-speaking family, and was also the first NHL player from Vernon, British Columbia, and the Okanagan region.
Kwong's nicknames included the "China Clipper" and "King Kwong".After his playing days, he lived in Europe and became the first ethnic Chinese coach of a professional hockey club in Switzerland.
In his later years, he returned to Canada and operated a supermarket, following his father's footsteps.
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Canadian ice hockey player
Canadian ice hockey player
Canadian ice hockey player