Mike Wong
Michael Anthony Wong (born January 14, 1955 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a retired ice hockey forward who played in 22 games for the Detroit Red Wings. He is also a former Minnesota Golden Gloves boxing champion. He was drafted 7th (77th overall) in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft. Wong was born of Chinese descent.
| Mike Wong | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 14, 1955 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 204 lb (93 kg; 14 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| NHL Draft |
77th overall, 1975 Detroit Red Wings | ||
| WHA Draft |
32nd overall, 1974 Indianapolis Racers | ||
| Playing career | 1975–1979 | ||
Professional career
Wong excelled at junior hockey in Minnesota and was called upon to join the U.S. National team at the 1974 World Junior Championships. This was the first year the tournament was held and Wong found himself traveling to Leningrad and playing the best talent from 10 different countries in his age group. Although the United States failed to medal, Wong played well and was noticed.
Back in the States, Wong joined the Montreal Jr. Canadiens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In the 1974–75 season he recorded 27 goals and 41 assists for 67 points. The Red Wings had seen enough and decided to draft Wong with their 7th pick in 1975. Wong was also drafted 61st overall in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft by the Indianapolis Racers.
Wong started the season with the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League, in which he scored 42 points in only 39 games. Finally, he was called up to play for Detroit on October 11, 1975 in a game against the California Golden Seals. He remained with Detroit for 21 more games, but only managed to score one goal and one assist in that span. He ended his NHL run with a plus/minus rating of -11.
For the next three seasons, Wong would spend a handful of games with Kalamazoo before trying his hand with other clubs. He played for the Rhode Island Reds of the American Hockey League in 1976–77, the Muskegon Mohawks of the IHL in 1977–78, and the Johnstown Wings of the North East Hockey League in 1978–79. He retired from pro hockey after the 1978–79 season.
After pro hockey
Wong returned to Minnesota spent several years in Bloomington, Minnesota playing for Buck's Unpainted Furniture U.S. senior elite team, he married his high school sweetheart. He later coached his son Jason's youth hockey teams in Minnesota. Jason went on to play junior and college hockey in Minnesota.