Woo becomes only second player of Chinese descent to be drafted
DALLAS — It probably says something good about Canada that Jett Woo only recently became aware of how few players of Chinese descent have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft.
For much of Woo’s hockey career, he said it hasn’t mattered. He has just been one of the guys.
Now, it wasn’t always that way.
“WhenIwasreallyyoung,I was picked on,” Woo said Saturday. “I was picked on because of my background. But I used that to my advantage. It fuelled my fire and I still have it.
“It disappeared over time. It’s like the movies when you see the person who is always getting picked on starts getting liked by everyone. People stopped talking about my background.
“But I’ll never forget. I still remember how it was and how far I’ve come.”
The Canucks made Woo the second player ever of Chinese descent to be drafted when they selected the defensive defenceman with the No. 37 overall pick.
If the Quinn Hughes choice they made Friday was about the Canucks bringing in a shiny new toy, they are hoping Woo can be their rock. Already six feet tall and 205 pounds, he is probably more ofaboulder.
There is reason to believe that Woo has much more to give than what you saw in the second half of his WHL season with Moose Jaw.
In the playoffs, Woo had three points in 14 games which does seem underwhelming.
Woo excelled this year at zone exits, showing he can move the puck. He also showed some offensive flashes.
But he got off to a hot start and many early in the year had him pegged for the first round in this draft. A separated AC joint in his shoulder derailed his progress. And not long after he returned from his six-week recovery, he strained his oblique muscle working out and was limited yet again.
“It was difficult,” Woo said. “Throughout the whole year, I saw the rankings. And when I came here, I had no idea how things were going to end up.”
If you haven’t heard, Woo is named after Chinese film star Jet Li.
“The story I believe is that Jet Li was coming to Winnipeg and my grandparents were going to host him,” Woo said. “But he decided to go to Hollywood which worked out for him. My grandparents loved the name. My dad loved the name.”
Woo’s dad Larry played in the WHL and also dabbled in acting.
“It was kind of cool to see him on the TV and on the movie screen,” Woo said. “But to me he needs a bit of work! My dad’s impact on my career was huge.”