Sharks select Simon Wang No. 33 overall in 2025 NHL Draft, becomes highest-drafted Chinese-born player

Simon Wang became the highest-drafted Chinese player in league history when the San Jose Sharks selected him with the 33rd pick at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Born as Haoxi Wang, the 17-year-old is a fascinating blend of size and speed. He stands at a towering 6-foot-6 but already boasts pro-ready mobility. Still, it’s uncommon for such a green player to go so high in the draft.

Last season, Wang, a Boston University commit, went from the low-profile OJHL to the OHL powerhouse Oshawa Generals near the midseason mark after the NCAA ruled CHL players could go on to have collegiate careers.

There, he had some growing pains against stepped-up competition before coming into his own to help the Generals reach the OHL Championship series, where they fell to the stacked London Knights.

Wang has a competitive streak and some nastiness to go along with his physical gifts, but his game on the puck is very much a work in progress; his shot is predictably heavy, but didn’t find twine once in 53 OHL games (regular season + playoffs). Wang managed just five assists for Oshawa during that time.

BU will be the third league Wang has played in in as many seasons, but his OHL cameo should help prepare him for the pace of play he’ll see in the NCAA. It’s no guarantee, however, that he’ll be a top-of-the-lineup contributor out of the gates for such a high-level program.

If he continues to grow into his body in sheltered minutes for the Terriers, San Jose can delegate much of Wang’s early development to BU and reap the rewards a few seasons down the line when he’s ready to join its pro setup.

That might sound like a lot of patience, but given Wang’s enormous ceiling, the lefty could be worth the wait. He has a shot to become China’s first NHLer, and a very good one at that.

SPONSORED BY bet365