Oshawa Generals Sign Intriguing NHL Draft Defense Prospect; A Player That Scouts Are Buzzing About

Another player playing outside of the OHL with an NCAA commitment has made his way to the OHL.

It had been highly anticipated around the scouting community that King City Rebellion defenseman Simon "Haoxi" Wang would sign in the OHL after the NCAA rule change, and the Oshawa Generals have pounced on that opportunity, signing the towering defenseman to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. 

Wang was drafted in the fifth round, 83rd overall, by Oshawa in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. He spent last season playing in the OJHL for the Brantford 99ers, where he recorded seven assists in 28 games. 

To start his 2024-25 campaign, he's been playing for the King City Rebellion in the OJHL and has been impressing the scouts on many nights. Wang's offense has taken a significant step forward, with three goals and 14 assists in 29 games to date.

However, it's his hulking size that has NHL personnel licking their lips thinking about the potential that the Beijing, China native possesses.

Standing at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, the left-shot defenseman brings a strong physical element, which you would expect, but his skating is impressive for a defender of his size. 

The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy wrote a great piece on Wang and the attention he has been garnering from NHL scouts. Kennedy's article can be viewed here.

"The player that fits me the most right now is Mason Lohrei from the Boston Bruins," Wang said. "He plays a tough game and a skill game at the same time, so I want to play like him."

Kennedy is a big fan of Simon Wang, noting that he has so much potential due to his size and skating ability. With the way NHL teams are building their teams nowadays — A big, rangy, physical, but mobile defense core is what they all want — it's clear why NHL scouts are lining up to watch him play. 

Wang decided to pursue the NCAA development route and is committed to Boston University for the 2025-26 season.

Now, interestingly enough, the official X account of the OJHL tweeted out, "Information from Rebellion staff is that he (Wang) will be in an AP role with the Generals."

Why is this interesting?

If you are not familiar with the AP rule, an "AP" player cannot play in more than 10 games with their OHL club. 

Now, nothing is stopping Oshawa from stripping him as an "AP" player and making him a full-time player for them if they and Wang want to, and I'm sure that's what they are aiming to do with this signing, considering that Wang is headed for the NCAA next season. 

If Simon Wang does commit to being a full-time player for the Generals, then their blueline just got a whole lot bigger, faster, and nastier. 

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