When the New York Islanders selected Andong Song in the sixth round (172nd overall), they made history, as Song became the first-ever Chinese-born NHL draft pick.
Here are some interesting little tidbits about the 18-year-old, via the NHL:
Song, a native of Beijing, moved to North America at age nine, but captained the Chinese team at the 2015 U-18 World Jr. Championships (D-II). The Islanders selected Song from Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, where he captained the team in his senior season.
The league shared the country-by-country breakdown, also from the league:
Canada 79 United States 55 Sweden 19 Russia 17 Finland 13 Czech Republic 11 Slovakia 5 Switzerland 4 Latvia 3 Belarus 1 China 1 Germany 1 Netherlands 1 Ukraine 1 TOTAL 211
As the IIHF notes, it wasn’t the only first of this draft, as Daniel Sprong became the first Dutch-born player taken in an entry draft when the Pittsburgh Penguins made him the 46th choice.