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Jason He had to pinch himself.

Sitting in a packed Bell Centre last month, He gazed down and saw his son, Kevin, playing for the Winnipeg Jets in a prospects-tournament game against the Montreal Canadiens.

About 13 years ago, the accountant and his family (wife Queenie, Kevin and younger son Eric) moved to Montreal from Beijing for a career and life change. It offered Jason the chance to expose his sons more to a sport he fell in love with while mastering French as an international university student in Moncton, N.B.

“Very proud. The game was sold out, and it was just unbelievable feelings,” Jason recalled over the phone from his home in King City, Ont., recently. “I took them 10, 12 years ago to watch the Habs play. We were playing minor hockey, and somehow they had tickets for around $10. Now, they’re big men playing in the Bell Centre at the national level. It’s amazing.”

Kevin He, 19, is doing everything in his power to ensure there are more special moments ahead.

A fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2024 after Winnipeg traded up to grab the Buffalo Sabres’ selection, the Niagara IceDogs winger became the first Chinese-born player to sign an NHL contract last December, months after making his pre-season debut in Edmonton.

He got into another pre-season game this year, notching an assist at home against the Minnesota Wild, and has maintained his momentum in the OHL. The six-foot team captain has four goals and nine assists in seven games for the Central Division-leading IceDogs.

“It was a huge confidence boost, going to camp for a second time (with the Jets),” He said. “You watch those guys growing up, to be out there training with them, practising with them, just trying to learn as much as I can.”

Last week in a showcase game against the loaded Brantford Bulldogs, He had a goal and two assists on an impressive line with Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Czata and talented 2025 OHL first-round pick Ryerson Edgar.

On his goal, He caused a Bulldogs turnover in the defensive zone and raced down the wing before beating Sabres prospect goalie Ryerson Leenders from the faceoff circle.

“He’s played well. Straight ahead, stops and starts, playing on the D side of the puck but with that he’s got explosive speed,” first-year IceDogs coach Krys Barch said after the team’s 7-4 loss to the Bulldogs in St. Catharines, Ont. “He can really turn a game around or separate it for us. He’s been a huge element coming back and a great example for all the young guys.”

When He returned from Jets camp, he asked Barch if he could play on a line with Edgar. In the coach’s mind, that was a wonderful sign of leadership. For He, it simply was the right thing to do.

“I can relate to one of the only 16-year-olds. I was the only 16-year-old year my first year,” He said. “I understand he may be a little shy at the start, but I really like his game right now. I can see he has a really good compete level. Just want to be able to help him out and do what I can to help someone find his game. I think he’s on the right track.”

While Edgar grew up in Holland Landing, Ont. (not far from where Connor McDavid learned the game), He didn’t have a traditional hockey upbringing.

Kevin and Eric first took strides on rollerblades, with ice limited in Beijing. Jason eventually found them some ice, but it was hard to come by.

The move to Montreal, where Jason was celebrating on the streets while working a summer job when the Habs last won the Stanley Cup in 1993, changed that.

The family moved to the Toronto area when Kevin was 12 before the IceDogs picked him in the second round (25th overall) of the 2022 OHL Draft.

“I think his passion, that’s the No. 1 thing,” Jason said. “Passion makes you work harder, compete better, and go to the next level. Passion is everything, it comes from the heart. … I think skill is the second (most important aspect to hockey), passion is the first.”

After a summer spent working with trainer-to-the-stars Matt Nichol — “He’s been great. Not just a gym coach, but a mentor as well,” — He has devoted himself to improving his play at both ends of the ice.

While we know plus-minus may not be a tell-all stat, He’s rating is a plus-8 this season after being a combined minus-34 in his first three years in the OHL.

The main message from the Jets has been to work on his 200-foot game.

“I think that’s where my head’s at right now,” He said. “I think I have a good foundation, my speed and strength and what not. Obviously, get a little bigger, fill out a little bit more. Really kind of just lock down the defence and fit the system.”

After four seasons without any playoff success and several off-ice organizational controversies, the IceDogs are hoping to turn the corner this year under Barch and new GM Frank Evola. He wants to play a big role in that turnaround before hopefully making a full-time jump to the pros next season.

As Kevin takes each step, his dad will be watching with pride.

“It’s a big dream come true,” Jason He said. “I’ve been a big hockey fan for years. I’ve been watching Hockey Night in Canada for years. I never imagined or dreamed my son would play at that high a level.”

Friday, Oct. 17: Michigan State Spartans (1-1) at Boston Terriers (2-0-1), 7 p.m. ET

Opener of a back-to-back between the NCAA’s top-ranked Terriers and No. 3 Spartans. New York Islanders first-round pick Cole Eiserman is off to a hot start with Boston, scoring five goals in three games.

Friday, Oct. 17: Ottawa 67’s (6-1-0-0) at Kingston Frontenacs (5-2-0-1), 7:05 p.m. ET

It’s rivalry week in the OHL, with geographical rivals playing home-and-home series. Both these Eastern Ontario clubs are off to strong starts. Coach/GM Dave Cameron’s 67’s were the last unbeaten club in the OHL before falling to Brantford last weekend. The 67’s and Frontenacs meet again Sunday in Ottawa.

Sunday, Oct. 19: Edmonton Oil Kings (8-2-0-0) at Saskatoon Blades (7-2-0-0), 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. ST

Two top WHL Eastern Conference clubs square off. Each team has a European-born Canadian team NHL prospect playing well. Saskatoon’s David Lewandowski (Edmonton Oilers, Germany) has 12 points in seven games, while Edmonton’s Miroslav Holinka (Toronto Maple Leafs, Czechia) has 11 points in six games.

Tuesday, Oct. 21: QMJHL Prospects Game, 7:30 p.m. ET at Sherbrooke, Que.

A new event showcasing 40 of the QMJHL’s top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defenceman Xavier Villeneuve, who had five assists in a win over Newfoundland last week, and Russian-born, Victoriaville Tigres forward Egor Shilov (14 points in seven games) will be two of the featured players.

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Doc Rivers is a proud Chicagoan — born in the city, raised and played his high school ball and became an All-American at Proviso East in Maywood, a town in Cook County that is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Rivers was back in his hometown over the weekend as his Bucks played the Bulls in a preseason game, and like most Chicagoans, he was angered by the presence of ICE agents and the attempt to bring in federalized National Guard troops to the city. There have been protests in the streets and in the courts about their presence. Rivers went on a pre-game rant about it, as reported by Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“It bothers me,†Rivers said. “Iâ€m trying, Iâ€m trying; I mean, itâ€s just awful what you watch and see, people getting zip tied. I mean, thatâ€s not this country. Thatâ€s not what weâ€re about …

“I think every American is good with, if thereâ€s criminals on the street, we want to arrest the criminals. My dad was a cop for Christâ€s sakes. My dad would not be proud of this. I know that. My dad would have a major problem; I couldnâ€t imagine my dad going to work right now and have to protect ICE agents and doing what theyâ€re doing. I couldnâ€t imagine him wanting to go to work. I think heâ€d call in sick.â€

Maybe the most interesting part was Rivers pointing out the informational divide in the United States (something seen in the discussion around Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles and other cities the current administration has focused its attention on), as illustrated by a conversation he had with a couple in town supporting their daughter running the Chicago Marathon last weekend.

“The couple was so proud, and they were saying, ‘man, this is the best marathon, the city is amazing, Iâ€ve never been to this city, wow,â€â€ Rivers recounted. “And the dad says, ‘But we were so scared, we thought there was civil unrest everywhere.†And he was like, ‘Where is it?†Itâ€s nowhere. Itâ€s just sad. We hate it. We hate it. Iâ€m from Chicago. Iâ€m very prideful about this place, so I hate it …

“Iâ€m going to say this the last time and then move back to basketball. This should be about the morality of our country and not about the race. This has nothing to do with Black and White. Black and White should be grabbing arms together on this one and fighting against this.â€

The NBA has a long history of coaches speaking out on social issues, most legendarily former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, but more recently the Warriors†Steve Kerr. He is not alone, as the usually more mild-mannered Rivers showed.

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ELMONT, NY — New York Islanders defense prospect and Long Island native Marshall Warren was excited pregame to skate in his first-ever preseason game after not getting the chance last training camp.

Long Island Native, Islanders Fan Marshall Warren About To Live Out A Dream
EAST MEADOW, NY — Long Island native Marshall Warren is about to live out a dream when the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers for their first preseason game.

However, even with all the excitement, the Laurel Hollow native couldn’t have expected what would happen in front of his parents, his sister, friends, and family on Sunday night.

After laying a big hit in his own zone in the second period, Warren jumped up on the rush with forward Mathew Barzal, creating a 2-on-1 chance.  From the high slot, Barzal sent a cross-seam pass to Warren, who caught the puck in the left circle before roofing the rubber for the 2-1 go-ahead tally:

“Yeah, it was cool,” Warren told The Hockey News. “I would have loved to get the win, but…it didn’t really feel that surreal, honestly. It felt like a normal day, like playing hockey. But, yeah, it’s cool.”

Warren is always cool, calm, and collected in interviews. But we can tell you that he was grinning ear to ear while chatting with us.

When asked if that goal sequence defined him as a player: “I’m a two-way defenseman, so it’s good to show I can make hits and also make plays. So that’s the biggest thing, just going forward, just being able to showcase the abilities I have. So yeah, I think it was a good game, but obviously we didn’t win.”

In the 11-round 3-2 shootout exhibition loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Warren recorded one assist, two shots, and three hits in 16:45 minutes of action, skating alongside Cole McWard.

“I was happy for him. I mean, he had a really good camp last year, and I thought he had a great game today,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “I mean, he scored that second goal for us and jumps in the rush. And I was very impressed with him. I thought he had a really good game.”

As mentioned, Warren did not get into a preseason game last year. He was brought to Philadelphia, took warmups, but did not get into the game. He had to earn it.

In his first full season in Bridgeport — he did suffer an injury — Warren recorded 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 53 games.

His growth from last season to this season, when it comes to his decision-making, is what stood out to Roy and what ultimately gave him a preseason opportunity this time around.

“I feel like he’s free out there in a way that he’s not afraid,” Roy said. “Last year, there was maybe a bit of hesitation in jumping in on the rush, which is normal. You’re a young guy, but I felt like today, the goal that he scored, it’s an example. He was not afraid. He just said, “Well, I’m going there, and I want to create that 2-on-1 on with Barzy.’

“What I love is the check he made in that first period. That was a great hit. I liked the way that he defended, the way that he moves the puck. I could see, in general, how good he feels out there and how confident he is. And I think the year in the AHL last year was really good for him.”

Warren won’t be making the Islanders out of training camp. But, he does have a tremendous opportunity to be a leader down in Bridgeport, play big minutes and hey, you never know.

Look at Isaiah George last season, who, due to injury got a chance at the NHL level, a chance that lasted 33 games. While the call-up was more out of necessity due to injury as George had only played in four total professoinal hockey games, his play in preseason last year is what gave the Islanders confidence that he could be an option.

Hopefully, Warren continues to do the same as training camp and preseason action continue.

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