Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier
    Unavailable
    King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier
    Unavailable
    King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier
    Ebook112 pages1 hour

    King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier

    By Paula Johanson

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Who broke the colour barrier in the NHL? A man whose professional hockey career statistics include leading the senior leagues for scoring and for low penalty minutes – and a single shift on the ice in an NHL game. He was scouted three times by NHL teams before that game, and courted away from the NHL to a powerful role in three different leagues before retiring.
    He is Larry Kwong, a Canadian of Chinese descent born in Vernon BC in 1923, a hard-working man and World War II serviceman who played hockey most of his life.
    Paula Johanson explores the life and accomplishments of the China Clipper, Larry Kwong, whose story is one of an indomitable spirit who triumphs in the face of adversity and social discrimination.
    This is a long-overdue but timeless biography—a spellbinding tale of a puck magician whose escape from opposition checks and societal chains helped to recast a fairer future for us all.
    Chad Soon
    Director, Greater Vernon Museum & Archives and Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFive Rivers Publishing info5rivers.org
    Release dateFeb 25, 2015
    ISBN9781927400760
    Unavailable
    King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier
    Author

    Paula Johanson

    Paula Johanson is a Canadian writer. A graduate of the University of Victoria with an MA in Canadian literature, she has worked as a security guard, a short order cook, a teacher, newspaper writer, and more. As well as editing books and teaching materials, she has run an organic-method small farm with her spouse, raised gifted twins, and cleaned university dormitories. In addition to novels and stories, she is the author of forty-two books written for educational publishers, among them The Paleolithic Revolution and Women Writers from the series Defying Convention: Women Who Changed The World. Johanson is an active member of SF Canada, the national association of science fiction and fantasy authors.

    Read more from Paula Johanson

    Related to King Kwong

    Related ebooks

    Sports Biographies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A Scout’s Dream

      Jun 4, 2019

      A Scout’s Dream
      9 min read

    • Article

      Taken Too Soon

      Jan 17, 2020

      One of the key components that draw all of us as fans to sports is the emotional connection to our favorite player or our favorite team. We are ecstatic when there is a win or a championship and devastated when there is a loss. It is this emotional c

      6 min read

    • Article

      Jersey Boys

      Jul 19, 2022

      Jersey Boys
      5 min read

    • Article

      In Memoriam

      Mar 7, 2023

      Tim McCarver was one of the most successful catchers of the 1960s and a big reason the Cardinals won the World Series in 1964 and ’67 and won the National League pennant in ’68. But his legacy as a broadcaster is such that it’s easy to construct an a

      4 min read

    • Article

      Remembering The Negro Leagues On 100th Anniversary

      Mar 27, 2020

      I saw my first Major League Baseball game in 1954 when my father took me to see our hometown Brooklyn Dodgers play the Milwaukee Braves at Ebbets Field. As long-time fans know, both teams had great players. For me, there was one player in particular

      9 min read

    • Article

      Celebrating 50 Years Of Cards, Collectibles And Sports Collectors Digest

      Feb 18, 2023

      To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sports Collectors Digest, we invite you to tell us about your favorite cards and collectibles, your most memorable moments as a collector, and what you think of the current state of the hobby. Also tell us ho

      2 min read

    • Article

      ‘A Story That Didn’t Used To Be Told’: The Rise And Fall Of Baseball’s Negro Leagues

      Jul 5, 2023

      Sam Pollard inherited his love for baseball from his father, a fan of the St Louis Cardinals – Black America’s team in the 1960s. Growing up in New York just made it a long-distance affair. “They had some phenomenal players,” Pollard recalls to the G

      4 min read

    • Article

      Historic Jackie Robinson Document One Of Most Significant Collectibles In Baseball History

      Feb 19, 2022

      In 1946, the legendary Jackie Robinson accepted the greatest challenge of his life — becoming the first black baseball player to play professionally, breaking Major League Baseball’s long-held color barrier. The moment when Robinson accepted the chal

      2 min read

    • Article

      Dodgers Honor Roberto Clemente In Win Over Diamondbacks

      Sep 10, 2020

      PHOENIX - Kike Hernandez wasn't sure words such as honor and pride were enough, or if language existed to convey the depth of his feelings. Instead, he used the diamond as his canvas and his bat as the paint brush, honoring his native Puerto Rico's p

      2 min read

    • Article

      Dodgers Blast Season-high Seven Home Runs In Win With Kobe Bryant On Their Minds

      Aug 24, 2020

      LOS ANGELES - Kike Hernandez flicked his wrist and saluted Sunday's man of honor, imitating a Kobe Bryant jump shot as he crossed home plate. On a day dedicated to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend, who was commemorated on what would have been his 4

      2 min read

    • Article

      Remembering Roberto Clemente

      Mar 1, 2023

      Remembering Roberto Clemente
      4 min read

    • Article

      Pinch Hitters

      Mar 7, 2023

      In 1941, nineteen-year-old Margaret “Marnie” Danhauser of Racine began working as a book binder at Western Printing and Lithographing—a good, if unglamorous, job with an average salary of about thirty-two dollars a week.1 She was a 1938 graduate of S

      22 min read

    • Article

      Cowboy Up

      Feb 4, 2023

      Cowboy Up
      7 min read

    Reviews for King Kwong

    4/5

    8 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Canadians love their ice hockey, eh? While neither Canadian nor a rabid hockey follower, I nonetheless enjoyed learning about Larry Kwong's lifelong dedication to the sport he loves, despite the obstacles of poverty and racial discrimination (both the "legal" and societal types) strewn in his path.Ms. Johanson's careful account describes the "China Clipper's" journey from youth street hockey in small town British Columbia with his older brothers (wearing skates too large so he could grow into them), through his early playing days with his hometown minor league traveling team, his 'flash in the pan' one-time appearance in an NHL Rangers hockey game in 1948, to his many successful sports related career choices as a man in his mature adult years. There is a wealth of information packed into a compact (95-page) biography of this obviously talented sportsman; though at times, Johanson's retelling feels a bit jumpy at chapter transitions or when tying in background details from pertinent events in Kwong's past. Many photos of this handsome man appear throughout, along with documentation from Mr. Kwong's archived mementos, which help make his story come alive.This reader was woefully unaware of the blatant prejudice rampant in Canada and codified under BC law, which, as Johanson informs us, was often promulgated upstream to the federal level. Late nineteenth century Chinese Canadians (like Mr. Kwong's parents) were categorized "allied aliens" and were unable to vote or find professional work; even in 1940, Canadians could legally discriminate in hiring and in deciding whom to serve in their businesses. If a Chinese Canadian crossed the border, he could never legally return; this significantly impacted Mr. Kwong's hockey career, since he couldn't pursue initial offers from the NHL's Blackhawks and Bruins without permanently abandoning his family and friends. Only after WWII escalated (in 1944) were Chinese Canadians allowed to join the military, and since Kwong was then drafted, his service record enabled him to move freely across the border and overseas. While Jackie Robinson was being threatened and spit upon for joining American Major League Baseball's Dodgers, Mr. Kwong and his Chinese counterparts in Canada were legally being barred from enjoying the same benefits that other Canadian minor league hockey players had - supplemental jobs were grossly unequal, for example, and Kwong had to travel only within Canada, often spending many more hours on a train within the country while his teammates could freely cross the border when it was easier to do so to get to an away game somewhere else in Canada. The NHL was slow to bring people of color into its ranks, first contracting with a Native First People's Canadian in 1954 and not accepting an African-American until 1958.Ms. Johanson's work also sheds light on the personal side of Larry Kwong, including facts and stories drawn out from a self-effacing man who seems innately unaccustomed to sharing feelings about his relationships as well as how his life and career was impacted by the circumstances of his origins. Of note is a family story ("a standing joke") that shows his sense of humor and easy-going nature.In spite of the diabetic circulatory problems in his 80s that resulted in the loss of both lower legs, Mr. Kwong (with prosthetic legs) remains remarkably active; he will celebrate his 92nd birthday in July, 2015.An enlightening and enjoyable biography - recommended for aficionados as well as those only mildly interested in hockey.Note: My reviewer's e-copy ended a paragraph with a sentence dropped abruptly in mid-word (page 64); not sure if this carried over to the print edition or if just a digital anomaly.
    • 2/5
      I received this e-book free in exchange for an HONEST review. Keep in mind that this is my opinion...your's may differ, but this is MINE.Being a huge hockey fan, I was extremely interested in this book. So while I applaud the author's attempt to bring a very interesting subject to us in her book, she has proved that an interesting topic alone does not make for a good book. It also requires the ability to research, organize and write well. This short account of Larry Kwong's life in hockey reads like a junior high school book report/research paper. It is painfully obvious that the author knew little to nothing about hockey prior to writing this book by the way she refers to hockey, the terms she uses, etc.A topic like this (a groundbreaking event in hockey) should have been a very enjoyable read. But instead, getting through this book was painful. It was "choppy", not well organized and very redundant in parts.
    • 5/5
      This book was a really quick read. As a lifelong hockey fan I was fascinated by the story. As a New York Ranger's fan I was appalled I hadn't heard of this before. [King Kwong: Larry Kwong, the China Clipper Who Broke the NHL Colour Barrier] by [Paula Johanson] is a short well written account of the struggle to make it into the NHL if you weren't of European decent. Larry Kwong was a very skilled player but only got to play one shift in the NHL. This did not dampen his love for hockey as he traveled the world spreading this awesome sport wherever he went. I wish I had this in a paper copy so I could give it to my students to read.
    • 4/5
      Paula Johanson has provided readers with a concise biographical overview of the remarkable hockey career of Larry Kwong. Born in 1923, Kwong started playing street hockey on the frozen streets of Chinatown in Vernon British Columbia and achieved a lifelong career in hockey, including a one minute shift with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League in 1948. Wong started his career with local Midget and Juvenile and Senior hockey teams. After a stellar career with semi-professional leagues in Canada and the United States he crossed the ocean to Europe to play in England’s National League before finishing his career as player and coach in Switzerland. Upon his return to Canada in 1972, Kwong turned his attention to running a family business in Calgary.This booklet is not a full-fledged comprehensive biography but rather an enthusiast’s tribute to a great Canadian hockey story. While we learn something of Wong’s father, his mother remains nameless and we never even learn which of his father’s two wives brought Larry into the world. There are some editorial glitches and several of the photos are lacking adequate resolution for publication. A statistical addendum chronicling Wong’s career would have been beneficial.Nevertheless we are offered compelling insights into the restrictive government policies which framed the history of Wong’s family as well as the numerous colour barriers he encountered throughout his life, least of all his life in hockey. Having said that, perhaps too much is made of Wong’s one minute shift in the NHL. Johanson herself mentions that Henry Maracle, a Mohawk from Ontario, had played in the NHL as early as 1931. Regardless, does a one minute shift in a particular professional league actually constitute a breach of a colour barrier? Would Wong’s career have been any less remarkable and inspirational if he had never played a minute in the NHL? I think not!This is a valuable addition to the lore of Canada’s great game. Bravo!