| Kevin He | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 2006 Beijing, China | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team | Winnipeg Jets Niagara IceDogs (OHL) | ||
| NHL draft | 109th overall, 2024 Winnipeg Jets | ||
Kevin Hongtian He (born April 30, 2006) is a Chinese-born Canadian ice hockey left wing and captain of the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected He with the 109th overall pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft. In 2024, He became the first Chinese-born ice hockey player to sign an NHL contract.
He was born in Beijing, China. [1] His father Jason had become interested in ice hockey while attending Université de Moncton and took him rollerblading and ice skating as a child. [2] He began playing organized ice hockey at the age of six, when his family moved to Montreal. [3] He played minor ice hockey for a variety of teams across Montreal and Toronto before joining the North York Rangers of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. [4] During the 2021–22 season with North York's Under-16 AAA team, He had 13 goals and 25 points in 16 games. [3]
The Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) selected He in the second round, with the 25th overall pick, of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, [5] and he signed with the team that May. [6] He's first junior ice hockey goal came on October 1, during the IceDogs' 3–2 victory over the Flint Firebirds. [7] In his rookie OHL season, He had 34 points in 66 games, [8] and his 21 goals tied Akil Thomas for the most by an IceDog in their 16-year-old season. [9] During the 2023–24 season, He served as one of six alternate captains for the IceDogs. [10] In 64 games that season, He recorded 53 points, including a team-leading 31 goals, and was the IceDogs' nominee for the Red Tilson Trophy. [11]
The Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected He in the fourth round, 109th overall, of the 2024 NHL entry draft. He was only the second Chinese-born player drafted in the NHL, behind Andong Song, who the New York Islanders took in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL entry draft. [12] Kevin He’s draft position was surpassed a year later by Haoxi Wang, who was selected 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
On December 17, 2024, the Jets signed He to a three-year, entry-level contract, [13] making him the first Chinese-born player to sign in the NHL. [14]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Niagara IceDogs | OHL | 66 | 21 | 13 | 34 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Niagara IceDogs | OHL | 64 | 31 | 22 | 53 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Niagara IceDogs | OHL | 62 | 36 | 39 | 75 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| OHL totals | 192 | 88 | 74 | 162 | 131 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||||