Kevin He made hockey history again when he signed his entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 17, 2024, becoming the first player born in China to sign a pro deal.

Born in Beijing, He became the highest China-born player taken in the NHL Draft when the Jets selected him in the fourth round (No. 109) of the 2024 NHL Draft. He said his father started taking him ice skating at small rinks in Beijing malls when he was 4 years old. He got his first taste of organized hockey after his family moved to Montreal when he was 6.

In addition to developing hockey skills, He said he had to learn two languages when he arrived in Canada because he mostly spoke Mandarin in Beijing. He learned French attending school in Montreal and English when he lived with relatives in Connecticut for several months.

When He was 12, his family moved to Toronto, where he began playing elite-level hockey in the North York AAA program.

Niagara chose He in the second round (No. 25) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft after he had 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 16 games for North York’s Under-16 AAA team. The IceDogs named He captain Oct. 22, 2024.

Andong Song was the first China-born player selected in the NHL when the New York Islanders took him in the sixth round (No. 172) at the 2015 NHL Draft. Song never signed his entry-level deal.

**NOTES AND TRANSACTIONS**

* Signed entry-level contract with Winnipeg, December 17, 2024.