Tim Horton's, Asian Canadians and hockey… very Canadian!

I went to Tim Horton's today with my father…  on Lougheed Highway in Burnaby.  He ordered a small
coffee and a french curl doughnut.  I had a medium double double
with a walnut crunch.

I looked around at the customers – about 10…  All Asian faces…
with one Caucasian in the corner by the door, talking on his cell
phone.  My how the stereotypes of Asians on cell phones have
switched now.  Two policemen came into the coffee shop – one was
Asian.  I think the middle aged couple was speaking in
Korean.  There were students in the other corner.

When I saw the new Tim Horton's television commercial featuring the
Chinese Canadian grandfather bringing “double doubles” to the hockey
rink to sit beside his son, and watch his grandson play… I thought
“Cool!”  Depicting Canadians who just happen to be Asian, doing
Canadian things that just happen to be hockey and going to Tim
Horton's.   

Then the flashback of the grandfather telling his young son, not to
play so much hockey – he should study instead.  Very reminescent
of every immigrant group adjusting to Canadian customs such as
hockey.  Reminded me of my own youth…. We weren't great at
hockey either… but largely because there were NO Asian-Canadian
hockey playing role models.  Now there is Paul Kariya, and
Vancouver Canuck's Richard Park.  I hope we will now see more
Asian Canadian hockey playing coffee swiggers in the NHL.

My teenage athletic role models were Bruce Lee and Wayne Wong
– the pioneer freestyle skier.  My brother and I had posters of
each of them…  We even got to meet Wayne Wong too!  There
were K2 “Wongbanger” skis in the basement… I even learned how to the
the “Wongbanger” move…. once…  It was a forward pole
flip.  Once up at Whistler, I tried it in front of my friends…
my tip stuck in the snow, popped my binding, flew into the air, and
landed on my head…  I don't think I ever did it again.


Trivia question:  Who was the first Asian-Canadian hockey player in the NHL?
E-mail me at gunghaggis at yahoo dot com.    I will try
to find an appropriate prize for the most complete and first answers….

PS: