He broke the colour barrier in hockey decades ago but on Wednesday, Larry Kwong was honoured in Vernon and inducted into the Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame.
Kwong was born in Vernon and was the first Chinese Canadian to play in the NHL, playing one game for the New York Rangers in 1948.
Since then, there have been a handful of Chinese-Canadians in the NHL but Kwong says he hopes that the trail he blazed will open the doors for others to come.
Also inducted into the Hall of Fame were Vernon born Rob Boyd, who won three World Cup downhill races, and former major league baseball player Kevin Reimer, who grew up in Enderby.
Camille Martens, who competed for Canada in the 1996 Olympics in rhythmic gymnastics, the Vernon Lakers, who won back to back Centennial Cups, and swimming brothers Gary and Steven Vander Meulen were also honoured.
Vern and his son Wayne Dye were also honoured posthumously.
Vern helped found the Vernon Junior A hockey franchise and Wayne was drafted by the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks.
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