LOS ANGELES (AP) — Simon Wang became the highest-drafted player born in China when the San Jose Sharks selected him with the first pick of the second round of the NHL draft on Saturday.

Wang’s family moved from Beijing to Toronto when he was 12. The 6-foot-5 defenseman surged forward in his development over the past year, showing more than enough potential to entice the Sharks with the 33rd overall selection.

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“It’s an unreal moment for my family, for hockey in China,” Wang said. “Just a really surreal moment, a dream-come-true moment. … I hope I’ve inspired a lot of kids back home.”

His real name is Haoxi Wang, but he plans to go by Simon during his hockey career because “it’s simpler for North Americans,” he said.

Wang is only the third Chinese-born player ever drafted by the NHL, but he knows he won’t be the last. Kevin He was drafted 109th overall by the Winnipeg Jets last year, and Andong Song was chosen 172nd by the New York Islanders in 2015.

“Hopefully one day my record will get broken again,” Wang said. “Someone will go in the first round, even top 10. I think there will definitely be someone that’s going to make a huge impact on the game.”

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Wang aspires to be an imposing two-way defenseman in the mold of Victor Hedman or Colton Parayko, but he had little draft buzz until the start of last season, when teams began to take notice of his rapidly developing skills. He soon joined the OHL’s Oshawa Generals and got even more exposure during their playoff run.

“Seeing so many scouts in the Junior A barn, it just started hitting me,” Wang said. “The summer before the season, I thought I was going undrafted, to be honest with you. But it happened for a reason, and I worked so hard for this. I deserve to be here.”

Wang got into hockey as a child, but he didn’t truly embrace the game until his family took a trip to Los Angeles eight years ago. The 10-year-old attended a Kings game right across the street from where he was drafted — although he fell asleep during the game, he recalls with a laugh.

Wang then attended a Bruins-Flames game played in Beijing in 2018, and he soon decided to move to Canada to further his development.

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Wang walked the red carpet in Los Angeles on Friday with his mother, who propelled his career — and even bought and moved his former junior team. He also got his first chance in nearly two years to see his brother, who studied at Boston University, where Wang might play college hockey starting in 2026 if next year in Oshawa goes well.

The NHL is concluding its decentralized draft with the final six rounds at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. After minimal player movement Friday while Matthew Schaefer became the No. 1 overall pick, several significant trades were executed Saturday, with longtime Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson going to Detroit while defenseman Jordan Spence went from Los Angeles to Ottawa.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL