'Team Asia' Rules Toronto Youth Hockey
According to the players on the Don Mills Flyers U-16 team, they like to call themselves "Team Asia." (Photo by Ken Campbell)The Don Mills Flyers Under-16 hockey team is good. Really good.
One of the best in the world, probably, seeing as it was ranked as the No. 1 team in Ontario for much of this season and on Tuesday night won the Greater Toronto Hockey League title. As they prepare for the OHL Cup next week, the Flyers are indeed flying high.
There's an interesting facet to this team. Seven of the players, almost half the roster, is made up of East Asian players. Some are descendants, others, including Tommy Kut, Andy Huang and Lincoln Cumming, actually started playing hockey in China and came to Canada as young players.
There is something of a hockey boom in Asia in general and in China in particular, and many of the players come from backgrounds where they have the financial means to move across the world and play in the biggest youth hockey association in the world. Most of the seven will likely find themselves in the OHL next season as they try to make their way to the NHL.
Today's video column has more.
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