Larry Kwong only played one shift in the NHL nearly 75 years ago. But fans have launched a campaign to have him considered for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
When Kwong signed up for the New York Rangers on March 13, 1948, he made history by becoming the first person of color to play in an NHL game.
“Larry broke the color barrier, if only for a minute. But it was such a monumental achievement considering everything that was against him,” said the teacher from Vernon, British Columbia, Chad Soon, who first learned about Kwong’s story from his grandfather, then met the man himself and brought him to his school to talk to students.
Kwong was born in Vernon, and the talented forward faced endemic discrimination against Asian Canadians as he tried to pursue a hockey career in the late 1940s.
At 23, Kwong was finally signed by Rangers and assigned to the farm team.
“He leads the team in scoring in his second year but has to watch as player after player with lower stats with lower ability receive the big team call in his place,” said Soon, who has added that Kwong drew huge crowds as a farm team player in New York.
Bowing to public pressure, the Rangers eventually called up Kwong for just one NHL game in Montreal in 1948. He was benched during the first and second periods and only played one shift at the end of the third before being sent back to the farm.
“He realizes in that moment that Rangers aren’t interested in bringing diversity into the game,” Soon said. Kwong then signed with the Quebec league, where he won scoring titles and was named MVP.
“Normally it would be a ticket to the NHL. But for Larry, that was not the case. None of the teams were interested in a Chinese player,” Soon said. “It’s 10 years before Willie O’Ree came into the league as the first black player. So Larry used to joke that he was born a little too early.
Kwong’s struggle to overcome racism in hockey was an inspiration to Moezine Hasham, the founder of Hockey 4 Youth.
“It wasn’t that he wasn’t a good player, it was just unfortunately the discrimination that held him back,” Hasham said. “When it comes to hockey, it’s so important that we need to be able to amplify its story, to share its story.”
Hasham says Kwong’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category is the best way to do that.
“These are stories that the hockey world needs to celebrate more, we need to bring them to light more,” he said.
And supporters think 2023 would be a fitting year to celebrate Kwong.
“What’s remarkable about next year is that it would be the 75th anniversary of his entering the league, and also his 100th anniversary in 2023. So I think the script is there. I think now it’s all heavy, hard work,” Hasham said.
Christopher Woo has created a petition to collect signatures for the Hall of Fame effort.
“The more signatures we get, the more it will be noticed by someone in the Hockey Fall of Fame or the committee members,” Woo said.
A hockey player himself, he can’t imagine the kind of racism Kwong faced while trying to play the sport he loved.
“I know for me, even growing up in the 90s, it was tough. They called me everything under the sun,” Woo said. “I think hockey has become more inclusive over the years, and Telling Larry’s story, showing his perseverance, is another step towards diversity in hockey.”
It is hoped that the Hall of Fame campaign will soon be successful.
“I think it’s time,” he said. “His story is one that we must cherish and keep, because it is such an inspiring story. His induction into the hall will ensure that he will not be forgotten.