Japanese hockey player Takuma Kawai makes his way to the Memorial Cup

Gatineau Olympiques defenceman Takuma Kawai may be a Japanese hockey player, but he’s sporting a very Canadian gap in his front teeth.

Kawai moved away from his home and family in Eniwa, Japan, at 15 to pursue his dream of playing hockey in Canada.

The 19-year-old is living that dream to the fullest at the Memorial Cup, which is the championship of the 60-team Canadian Hockey League.

“I always wanted to come to Canada and play. When I was little I watched NHL games on TV,” Kawai said prior to Gatineau’s game against Belleville on Monday.

Japanese-Canadians in hockey are common enough. Devin Setoguchi and Kawai’s favourite Paul Kariya are just a couple of them.
But media relations personnel from the CHL were scratching their heads to come up with previous players who were born in Japan and played major junior hockey.

Suffice to say, Kawai is a rarity.

“I think I’m the first Japanese player to play major junior,” Kawai theorized. “I know there’s half-Japanese, half-Canadian players, but I’ve never heard of a Japanese-born player.”