Zach Yuen Explained

Zach Yuen
Birth Date:3 March 1993
Birth Place:Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lbs:196
Position:Defence Forward
Shoots:Left
Team:Free agent
Former Teams:Toronto Marlies
Kunlun Red Star
Draft:119th overall
Draft Year:2011
Draft Team:Winnipeg Jets
Ntl Team:China
Career Start:2013

Zachary Yuen (born March 3, 1993,) is a Chinese-Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played for Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[1] Yuen was one of the first players of Chinese descent to be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

While playing with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Yuen became the first defenceman of Chinese descent to be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft after being selected by the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.[2] [3]

After playing two more seasons with the Tri-City Americans, Yuen made his professional debut with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2013–14 season. He played three games with the Marlies before being assigned to the ECHL.[4]

Yuen signed a two-year contract with the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2016,[5] then became the first Chinese player to score for the Red Star during a 1–0 win over the Amur Khabarovsk.[6]

International play

Yuen was called up to represent the China men's national ice hockey team for the 2022 Winter Olympics on January 28, 2022.[7]

Personal life

Yuen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. His father immigrated from Hong Kong and his mother was born in Vancouver after his maternal grandparents immigrated from Hong Kong.[2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2008–09Tri–City AmericansWHL4 0 0 0 07 1 0 1 2
2009–10Tri–City AmericansWHL42 1 3 4 1922 1 1 2 12
2010–11Tri–City AmericansWHL72 8 24 32 6510 0 3 3 12
2011–12Tri–City AmericansWHL66 12 26 38 4615 1 4 5 18
2012–13Tri–City AmericansWHL71 9 34 43 585 0 1 1 10
2013–14Toronto MarliesAHL3 0 0 0 4
2013–14Orlando Solar BearsECHL48 1 11 12 30
2014–15Wheeling NailersECHL27 3 4 7 16
2014–15Gwinnett GladiatorsECHL35 6 10 16 38
2015–16Atlanta GladiatorsECHL17 1 7 8 10
2015–16Idaho SteelheadsECHL51 3 17 20 487 0 1 1 6
2016–17Kunlun Red StarKHL60 3 8 11 425 1 0 1 4
2017–18Kunlun Red StarKHL21 2 1 3 18
2017–18KRS HeilongjiangVHL8 0 0 0 4
2018–19Kunlun Red StarKHL35 1 1 2 41
2019–20KRS BSU BeijingVHL13 0 4 4 8
2021–22Kunlun Red StarKHL29 0 2 2 18
2023–24Kunlun Red StarKHL21 0 1 1 4
KHL totals166 6 13 19 1235 1 0 1 4

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2010Canada PacificU175th5 0 1 1 6
2022ChinaOG12th40000
2022ChinaWC D2A27th403329
Junior totals5 0 1 1 6
Senior totals 80 3 329

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Zach Yuen. Elite Prospects.
  2. News: Andrew McNicol . Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: Zachary Yuen, NHL's first Chinese draft, eyes success for China national team . February 6, 2019 . South China Morning Post . July 27, 2018.
  3. Web site: Postma . Eric . Prospect Profile: Zachary Yuen . NHL.com . February 6, 2019 . February 17, 2012.
  4. News: Buffery . Steve . Former Marlies defenceman Yuen, now a KHLer, hopes to play for China at 2022 Olympics . February 6, 2019 . Toronto Sun . November 10, 2016.
  5. Web site: Возврат Тихонова и другие переводы . khl.ru . February 6, 2019 . ru . July 18, 2016.
  6. News: Zach Yuen Makes History for KHL'S Chinese Expansion Team . The Hockey News . February 6, 2019 . October 28, 2016.
  7. Web site: China's Olympic hockey hopes rest on North American talent . sports.yahoo.com . February 5, 2022 . June 29, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220629232147/https://sports.yahoo.com/china-olympic-hockey-hopes-rest-142423897.html . dead.