Foo brothers ‘inspiring future generation of Asian kids’
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (BVM) — Hockey has been a mainstay for Union College assistant coach John Ronan, and during his time behind the bench, he’s been able to coach the likes of Shayne Gostisbehere, who’s playing for the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. He’s also coached gifted athletes in Spencer and Parker Foo, who are currently playing professional hockey in the KHL and AHL.
“I only got Spencer for one year,” Ronan said. “We had Parker on our commitment list for a while, so to watch him develop and win a championship with the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta League and then make it to our campus [was special]. I’d say that Spencer probably started the road map, and Parker could see his brother’s footsteps. They are two really good players.”
Spencer and Parker fell in love with hockey in Edmonton, Alberta, leading them to attend Union College. During his career (2014-17) at UC, Spencer recorded 112 points (49 goals and 63 assists), was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best NCAA D-I men’s hockey player, became the 14th 100-point scorer in the history of the program and joined the Calgary Flames following his junior campaign.
SPENCER FOO WITH HIS FIRST CAREER NHL GOAL! pic.twitter.com/G4zpKMVTOf
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 6, 2018
“Spencer had the ability to really take over a game,” Ronan said. “He could slow the game down, and he played with two really good linemates in Mike Vecchione and Sebastian Vidmar. That was one of the best lines in college hockey that year.”
Parker (2017-20) joined the Dutchmen, ready to follow in Spencer’s footsteps, and in three seasons, he recorded 28 points and was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Parker is an elite skater and can absolutely fly,” Ronan said. “The unfortunate part with him is he spent a lot of his time banged up, and he probably didn’t reach his full potential because of injuries … They’re two very highly competitive players who hate losing. It was that competitive spirit that they brought every day that was special.”
Though both Spencer and Parker never had the chance to play alongside each other in college, both received the opportunity to play for China in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
“Seeing past players go on to have future success is something that makes you really proud,” Ronan said. “But having the ability to represent your country is absolutely special. Having the ability to do that and being on the biggest stage is a special time, and you have the ability to throw on a national team jersey, no matter what country it is.”
Hockey Edmonton Alumni,
YEG-born Parker Foo and Spencer Foo, are a part of the roster on China’s men’s hockey team, who made its Winter Olympic debut in Beijing this weekend.Another historic moment: Parker Foo scored the country’s 1st ever men's Olympic hockey goal. pic.twitter.com/42wnTfvKtP
— Official Hockey Edmonton (@playhockeyedm) February 16, 2022
OLYMPIC HISTORY 🚨🏒
Spencer Foo scores China’s first-ever men's hockey goal at the Olympics #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/amkbWTl3l5
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 12, 2022
The 2022 Olympics wasn’t only a unique time for the Foo brothers but for the Union College hockey program as well, as it saw three former Dutchmen (Parker, Spencer and Daniel Carr) featured in the Olympics for the first time.
“That’s a special moment for the players and for us as a hockey program,” Ronan said. “Seeing some of our alums who were able to perform on that world stage is unbelievable.”
Competing on the ice has not only shed light on the Union College hockey program but it’s possibly impacted the future of many other young athletes, especially those of Asian-American descent.
“They probably know they are inspiring a future generation of Asian kids who are looking to get into hockey,” Ronan said. “I think a great part of our sport right now is the diversity that’s coming through the grassroots program, and everybody talks about what Wayne Gretzky did in California back in the 90s, and it’s starting to come to fruition.”
It will continue to be an extraordinary athletic journey for the Foo brothers, and they will continue to strive toward their goals, but whether they’re playing in the KHL or AHL, the impact they have made could be greater than they expect.
“All these people were introduced to hockey, and for me, as a recruiter, going into a rink, you see every race, color and nationality,” Ronan said. “It’s pretty cool to see the growth in that sense in terms of diversity.”
