Asians in Hockey

Rei Halloran is a netminder for the Japanese Women's National Team, but her road to representing her home country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina wasn't an easy one. Rei joins Nate to share her story of coming to the sport as a young Japanese player, trying to fit into an already established team, and learning the ins and outs of a team culture that didn't quite match what she was used to having been trained in the North American hockey system.

Follow Rei on Instagram @reihalloran88_.

Follow Rei on TikTok @rhalloran.

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Today's episode features a conversation with Danielle Fujita, skating coach for the Calgary Flames. As far as I can tell, she's the only Asian woman working as a full-time coach in the NHL and one of only two women working as skating coaches in the league.

She's also the founder and CEO of My Hockey House, a holistic training hub for hockey players at any level. You can learn more by visiting myhockeyhouse.net.

Follow Danielle on Instagram at @danielle_powersk8.

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Check out the Asians in Hockey website by visiting...

On today's episode, I get into some Paralympics updates and announce the PWHL team I'll be rooting for from now on!

My guest is Pamela Yau, Professor of Arts Administration at Drexel University, and a diehard Flyers fan. You can find Pamela on Instagram at @pamela_yau.

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If you haven't chosen a PWHL team yet, head over to 365hockeygirl.github.io to take the personality quiz and find out who you should root for!

If you have a hockey team you're a diehard fan of, I'd love to hear from...

Today's bonus episode features a timely conversation with Evan F. Moore and Jashvina Shah, two journalists who co-wrote a book titled Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It. Given the larger conversations around the sport of hockey and the culture it creates, this conversation is especially important in addressing how hockey culture functions in broader society.

You can purchase a copy of the book at these booksellers:

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Check out the Asians in Hockey website by visiting asiansinhockey.com. There you...

On today's episode, Sang Eun Lee, founder of The Dream League, the first women's ice hockey league in Korea, joins the show to talk about her own journey with the sport of hockey, her experience with the Olympics, and the story of founding a hockey league and development program for young women in Korea.

Visit The Dream League's site at thedreamleague.org.

Read about Sang Eun and The Dream League at olympics.com.

Follow Sang Eun on Instagram @sangeungg.

Follow The Dream League on Instagram @thedreamleague_kr.

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It's Olympic season!

On today's episode, we cover a little bit about what's going on with our Asian hockey players at the Olympics and are joined by someone with a bit of Olympic experience himself, Dr. Martin Hyun.

Martin is the founder of Hockey Is Diversity, an initiative dedicated to promoting inclusivity at all levels of hockey. You can learn more about this great program by visiting hockeyisdiversity.de (website is in German).

You can follow Martin and Hockey Is Diversity on Instagram, @martinhyunauthor and @hockeyisdiversity (primarily German account).

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Sign up for the free Asian Community Skate on February 14! Register at asiansinhockey.com/asian-community-skate-2026. The event will feature a book talk from Chad Soon, co-author of The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey. Space is limited, so be sure to register soon!

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On today's episode, journalist Sheng Peng joins the show to talk about his love for hockey growing up, share some stories about covering an NHL team, and talk about his hub for Sharks hockey news, San Jose Hockey Now, which you can follow at sanjosehockeynow.com.

On today's episode, I talk with Eula Idemoto, Board President of the Northern California Women's Hockey League and member of Ang Sarap, an all-Filipina women's hockey team in the Bay Area. We have a wide-ranging conversation about Filipino food, inclusivity at women's amateur and beginner hockey, and the presence of hockey titas (aunties) at the rink.

Check out the NCWHL at ncwhl.com and follow them on Instagram @ncwhl.

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Here's a link to 365 Hockey Girl's reel about Jason Robertson: instagram.com/p/DTGeRFokjfx, and here's a link to the research study she...

On today's episode, I'm joined by Paris O'Brien, a former professional hockey player and goaltender for the Chinese National Hockey Team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

You can follow Paris on Instgram at @pobrien1_.

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Check out the new Asians in Hockey website by visiting asiansinhockey.com. There you can listen to episodes directly in your browser, find links to subscribe on your app of choice, and check out a bunch of other resources!

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Don't forget to sign the petition to induct Larry Kwong into the Hockey Hall of Fam...

It's been a while, but we're back with another episode of the podcast! Today's episode features a conversation with Allan Chan, a former member of the Winnipeg Jets Advisory Council and a dedicated ambassador for the Jets' First Shift program, where he helps kids from Asian, South Asian, and Filipino backgrounds get their first taste of hockey.

Allan is also the founder and GM of the Winnipeg Emperors, an all-Asian hockey team committed to representation and community on the ice. On top of that, he’s the driving force behind the Lunar New Year Hockey Tournament—an incr...

Today's episode is a conversation with Kelley Lee Gilmore and Jenny Lee-Gilmore, a mother and daughter whose unique connection to hockey led to two hockey films, Breakaway and Overtime.

Watch Breakaway here.

Watch Overtime here.

Follow Jenny on Instagram @jenny_leegilmore.

Check out Kelley's work at Simon Fraser University.

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Check out the new Asians in Hockey website by visiting asiansinhockey.com. There you can listen to episodes directly in your browser, find links to subscribe on your app of choice, and check out a bunch of oth...

On today's episode, we take a look at the career of Robin Bawa, the first player of Indian descent to skate in the NHL. We also talk with former Metropolitan Riveter Reagan Rust about her hockey career, her coaching life, and her mental health advocacy work.

Reagan's links:

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Check out the new Asians in Hockey website by visiting asiansinhockey.com. There you can listen to episodes directly in your browser, find links to subscribe on your app of choice, and check out a bunch of oth...

Welcome to another season of the Asians in Hockey podcast! In today's episode, I'm taking a look at the upcoming NHL and PWHL seasons and a number of the Asian players looking to make their mark on elite pro hockey!

To discuss PWHL action, I'm joined by Ava Wood and Avery Jensen, who both cover the PWHL on their social media platforms.

For a deep look at the PWHL, check out this PWHL Master Spreadsheet.

Take a look at Kimberly Newell's Team China goalie pads.

You can find Avery on Instagram...

In this special draft preview episode, we take a look at several Asian hockey players looking to make their mark on major professional hockey leagues in North America.

To preview the PWHL Draft, we chatted with Avery Jensen, the creator behind PWHL Source, a social media news account keeping track of PWHL league and team news. Be sure to follow Avery on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube under the handle @PWHLSource.

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Don't forget to sign the petition to induct Larry Kwong into the Hockey Hall of Fame! Visit change.org/p/induct-larry-kwong-into-the-hockey-hall-of-fame-itslarrysturn to si...

In today's episode, we recap the first three games of the AHL Calder Cup Finals, chat with Oilers fan Alanna Mah, learn about the career of the captain of the Montreal Canadiens, and chat with Ava Wood, a biracial PWHL content creator and superfan who has built a platform making women's hockey content on social media.

You can find Ava on TikTok and Instagram under the handle @365_hockeygirl.

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Don't forget to sign the petition to induct Larry Kwong into the Hockey Hall of Fame! Visit change.org/p/induct-larry-kwong-into-the-hockey-hall-of-fame-itslarrysturn to sign.

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In today's episode, we recap the 2025 IIHF Women's Asia Cup, follow up with a few of our Asian players in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, and take a look at the lives of the Wakabayashi brothers, two hockey legends who made names for themselves in Canada, the United States, and Japan.

We also speak with Mari Horita, SVP of Social Impact & Civic Affairs for the Seattle Kraken. You can follow Mari on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/mari-horita-414572a

Read up on what Mari is doing with the Seattle Kraken Community through Kraken Common Thread...

In this bonus episode of the podcast, I sit down with Dr. Courtney Szto, Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, author of the book Changing on the Fly: Hockey Through the Voices of South Asian Canadians, and editor of the webzine Hockey in Society.

We spend most of this conversation talking about her book, Changing on the Fly, which you can purchase at rutgersuniversitypress.org/changing-on-the-fly/9781978807938/.

And be sure to check out Hockey in Society for a wealth of information on the critical social issues in...

In today's episode, we recap the 2025 Men's Para Ice Hockey World Championship, follow up with a few of our Asian players in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, and take a look at the life and career of Mike Wong, the first player of Chinese descent drafted to the NHL.

We also spend some time chatting with Chi-Yin Tse, Coach and GM of the Tulsa Oilers JHC. You can follow Chi on Instagram @ctsehockey.

Check out his organization, the Tulsa Oilers at tulsaoilers.com.

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Don't forget to sign the petition to...

In today's episode, we get an update on our Asian players competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, take a look at the career of Miye D'Oench, and chat with Debbie Jiang, who investigated and wrote about an amazing story in Asian Canadian hockey history called "From Head Tax to Hockey Heroes."

Read Debbie's piece about the Chin brothers at canadashistory.ca.

Be sure to check out the issue of Kayak magazine, "Beyond Gold Mountain," which Debbie served as guest editor for. You can download the issue here along with its companion educator's guide here.

In today's episode, we get an update on our Asian players competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, take a look at the life and career of Manny Malhotra, and chat with captain of the Canadian National Women's Para Ice Hockey Team, Alanna Mah.

Follow Alanna on Instagram @alannamah.

As mentioned in the player profile, check out this interview with Manny Malhotra from The Minority League podcast.

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Don't forget to sign the petition to induct Larry Kwong into the Hockey Hall of Fame! Visit change.org/p/induct-larry-kwong-into-the-hockey-hall-of-fame-itslarrysturn to sign.

P...

Today's episode covers some Asian hockey history; an overview of some hockey leagues throughout history—including a look at some of the recent developments in women's hockey; and a conversation with Rachel Reid, author of several hockey romance novels, including the series that gave us the Heated Rivalry television series, Game Changers .

You can find Rachel on Instagram @rachelreidwrites, and you can find all her novels on her website, rachelreidwrites.com.

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Don't forget to sign the petition to induct Larry Kwong into the Hockey Hall of Fame! Visit change.org/p/induct-larry-kwong-into-the-hockey-hall-of-fame-itslarrysturn to...

In today's episode we catch up with our Asians in the playoffs!

I thought it might be helpful to provide a little bit of a glossary for hockey jargon, so in the second period, I read out definitions for some of the more unusual terms. What are some terms you want defined? Let me know on social media!

I also give a list of some of my favorite hockey movies and documentaries. What about you? What are your favorite hockey movies? Should I do some hockey movie reviews over the summer? Send me your thoughts...

Today's episode features three periods of hockey talk, as usual. This time, we spend the first period talking about the notorious Taro Tsujimoto, the Buffalo Sabres' 11th round draft pick in 1974.

In the second period, I thought it might be a good idea to learn about the game of hockey, so I spend some time going over the rules and a few of the terms related to the game. If you're already familiar with the game of hockey, feel free to skip ahead to the 22:15 mark for the start of the third period.

In the...

In today's episode we review some of the latest performances of our Asians in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I introduce a little bit of my own hockey background, and we take a brief overview of the life and career of one of the greatest women's hockey players of the modern era, Julie Chu.

A professional hockey player, former captain of the US National Women's Team, IIHF gold medalist, Olympic silver medalist, and now a college hockey coach, Julie Chu is one of the most decorated players in the sport.

To wrap things up, I have...

In the inaugural episode of Asians in Hockey, we introduce ourselves to the Asians and AAPI folks currently active in the major North American leagues. We also take a look at the life and career of Larry Kwong, the first NHL player of Asian descent, whose story gives a whole different meaning to the phrase "a New York minute."

Finally, we spend some time with Chad Soon co-author of the book The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey. Chad also works with the Larry Kwong Memorial Program at Hockey 4 Youth, supporting the growth...

Welcome to Asians in Hockey, a new podcast celebrating the stories, accomplishments, and influence that AANHPI folks have had on the sport of hockey.

Subscribe today, and follow us on social media:

Mentioned in this episode:

Don’t miss Chinese Republicans, a new play from Alex Lin!

Coming to the Roundabout Theatre Company this winter, Chinese Republicans is a biting new satirical drama from Alex Lin, directed by Chay Yew, following three high-powered businesswomen who meet for lunch every month to discuss their la...