397:, the Seibu railroads, and was Japan's largest landowner. After Wakabayashi's hockey career ended, Tsutsumi hired him as President of Seibu Canada, which owned the Westin Prince Hotel in Toronto. In a 2002 interview, Wakabayashi credited his experience from the University of Michigan as the key to his success: "If not for Al Renfrew and the Michigan hockey team, I would probably be working with my dad in the factory in Chatham. I don't even want to think about that one."
304:. As a junior in 1965, he was the leading scorer for Michigan and in the WCHA. He was awarded the Hall Downes Award as the team's Most Valuable Player and was named a first-team All-American. As a senior in 1966, he was the leading scorer in the WCHA and was named the league's Player of the Year. Because he enrolled in January 1963, he had eligibility for the first semester of 1966-67, where he scored 37 points in the 11 games before his eligibility expired.
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wrote that
Wakabayashi "is perhaps the most unlikely star in the long history of Michigan sports, and surely one of the most inspirational." Former teammate Dean Lucier said, "The college game was made for him. He's the best player I've ever stepped on the ice with, for or against, and that includes
307:
Wakabayashi was known for his ability to avoid penalties. In three years of collegiate hockey, he received only one penalty, a tripping call in his sophomore season. He later recalled, "Since I started playing hockey in pee wees, my coaches really banged it into my head that I was supposed to score
283:
Mel was a star player for the
Chatham Maroons. In 1961-62 he scored 33 goals and 33 assists to lead the league in scoring. During the 1962-63 season, he led the league with 64 goals and 102 points over 28 games, despite not playing the entire season, leaving the team in January 1963 to enroll at
299:
visited
Chatham to watch Wakabayashi play, and invited him to play hockey for the Wolverines. In January 1963, Wakabayashi enrolled at Michigan, but due to the freshman eligibility rule, Wakabayashi had to wait until January 1964 to play for the hockey team. Wakabayashi made an immediate impact,
370:. For 11 years, he was regularly among the league's leading scorers, including seven consecutive seasons without a penalty. While still playing, Wakabayashi also became the team's head coach in 1978. Wakabayashi also coached the
308:
the goals, not try to knock the big guys around and end up getting hurt or getting a penalty. I remember very clearly the feeling of sitting in that penalty box-and how much I realized I didn't like sitting in that box!"
238:, where Mel was born in 1943. Along with thousands of other Japanese-Canadian families, the Wakabayashi family was moved to a second internment camp in Northern Ontario shortly after Mel was born. When Mel's brother
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in 2006. On July 8, 2023, one day before his death, the Japan Ice Hockey League bestowed upon him a special achievement award on the league's 50th anniversary.
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scoring 21 goals and 17 assists in 1964. He helped the
Wolverines win the 1964 NCAA championship and scored two goals in the championship game against the
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Canada. In 2001, Wakabayashi was selected by the WCHA as one of the Top 50 Players in 50-year history of the conference. He was also inducted into the
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as the Top 50 Players in 50-year history of the conference. He was inducted into the
Chatham Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the
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Wakabayashi also played baseball at the
University of Michigan and was named to the All-Big Ten Conference team as a
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Wakabayashi and his brother Herb moved to Japan in 1972. Wakabayashi later became a citizen of Japan, living in
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Charlie
Vincent (February 24, 1980). "Japanese struggling in hockey". Chronicle Telegram (Knight Ridder story).
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378:. He continued to coach in the Japanese Hockey League until 1994. He has also served as vice president of the
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923:. The Bulletin: A Journal of Japanese Canadian Community, History & Culture. Archived from
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254:, where Mel grew up with his seven siblings. He excelled in both hockey and baseball, playing
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725:"Wolverines Win Hockey Championship". Independent Record (AP wire story). March 22, 1964.
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778:"College Hockey Star Signs With Detroit". Cumberland Evening Times. January 4, 1967.
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789:"Wakabayashi Turns Pro With Wings". The Times Record (Troy, NY). January 5, 1967.
589:"Unassuming, Skillful, Swift, Smart, Gentlemanly: They All Add Up To: Little Mel"
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752:"Hockey Star Who Blazed Trail From Internment-Camp Birth to Olympics Dies at 80"
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in his later years. He died on July 9, 2023, aged 80, at a Tokyo hospital.
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972:"Color of Hockey: Wakabayashi still inspiring players of Japanese descent"
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186:. After his hockey career ended, Wakabayashi became the President of
849:"Japan League Official Results. The 6th Season, Oct.08.1971-Oct.24"
700:"Trailblazing Chatham hockey star Mel Wakabayashi dies at 80"
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championship team. As a youth, Wakabayashi was a teammate of
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on the 1956 Ontario champion
Chatham Bantams baseball team.
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Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
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and was assigned to play with the Red Wings' farm club in
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1017:"Chatham Sports Hall of Fame honours local sports heroes"
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1104:"All-WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) Teams"
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was born in
December 1944, the family was living in the
158:(April 23, 1943 – July 9, 2023) was a Canadian-Japanese
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player, a right-handed center, who played for the 1964
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People from the
Regional District of Central Kootenay
737:"Western Collegiate Hockey Association – WCHA Awards"
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222:) was the son of Japanese-born parents who lived in
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990:"Wakabayashi Named One of WCHA's Top 50 Players"
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393:, who owned the Kokudo Bunnies, also owned the
374:at several international events, including the
77:165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
1240:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
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174:in 1966. He went on to play 11 seasons in the
170:. He was also named Player of the Year in the
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898:. University of Michigan Press. p. 172.
656:. Chatham Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from
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435:University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
339:In January 1967, Wakabayashi signed with the
192:University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
182:at international competitions, including the
1305:Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players
942:"元日本代表監督の若林仁さん死去 80歳 アイスホッケー日本L草創期に活躍（スポニチ）"
682:. Society for International Hockey Research.
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358:In 1968, Wakabayashi began to play in the
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1270:Ice hockey people from British Columbia
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1133:"WCHA Major Award Winners – 1951–2014"
895:Blue Ice: The Story of Michigan Hockey
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417:In 2001, Wakabayashi was one of three
18:Canadian ice hockey player (1943–2023)
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617:. International Ice Hockey Federation
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172:Western Collegiate Hockey Association
1300:Michigan Wolverines baseball players
1110:. College Hockey Historical Archives
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1015:John Gardiner (September 20, 2005).
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372:Japan men's national ice hockey team
180:Japan men's national ice hockey team
1079:American Hockey Coaches Association
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919:John Endo Greenaway (April 1980).
609:Podnieks, Andrew (July 14, 2023).
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970:Douglas, William (May 22, 2022).
232:Japanese-Canadian internment camp
69:5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
994:University of Michigan Athletics
591:. Michigan Today. Archived from
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611:"Hitoshi "Mel" Wakabayashi, 80"
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250:. In 1950, the family moved to
230:, his parents were placed in a
168:Michigan Wolverines hockey team
1275:Ice hockey people from Ontario
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750:Malone, Mark (July 13, 2023).
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698:Malone, Mark (July 13, 2023).
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244:Neys, Ontario, internment camp
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948:(in Japanese). July 13, 2023.
587:John U. Bacon (Summer 2002).
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419:University of Michigan hockey
293:University of Michigan hockey
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236:Slocan City, British Columbia
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921:"It's How You Play the Game"
395:Seibu department store chain
347:. He played in 1967 for the
284:the University of Michigan.
264:Ontario Baseball Association
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1280:Japanese-Canadian internees
1260:Canadian ice hockey coaches
1255:Canadian ice hockey centres
1245:Canadian emigrants to Japan
380:Japan Ice Hockey Federation
224:Vancouver, British Columbia
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1049:"NCAA Frozen Four Records"
463:All-Tournament Second Team
311:In a 2002 profile, writer
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1200:WCHA Most Valuable Player
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1074:"1965 All-American Teams"
335:Professional and coaching
246:on the northern shore of
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1185:Awards and achievements
1033:. M Club. Archived from
45:Slocan, British Columbia
1320:Sportspeople from Tokyo
857:Japan Ice Hockey League
401:Personal life and death
360:Japan Ice Hockey League
176:Japan Ice Hockey League
1290:Kokudo Keikaku players
1285:Johnstown Jets players
1295:Memphis Wings players
1108:sports-chronicles.com
1019:. Chatham-Kent Times.
757:The London Free Press
262:and baseball for the
1037:on October 27, 2007.
870:on December 17, 2005
421:players (along with
376:1980 Winter Olympics
302:University of Denver
184:1980 Winter Olympics
996:. February 15, 2002
739:. Rauzulu's Street.
219:Wakabayashi Hitoshi
109:Michigan Wolverines
1212:Keith Christiansen
704:Chatham Daily News
680:"SIHR Player List"
550:Player of the Year
429:) selected by the
345:Memphis, Tennessee
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1209:Succeeded by
905:978-0-472-06781-7
654:"Mel Wakabayashi"
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480:West All-American
413:Awards and honors
391:Yoshiaki Tsutsumi
362:, mostly for the
341:Detroit Red Wings
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202:Mel Wakabayashi (
178:and to coach the
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21:Ice hockey player
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268:Ferguson Jenkins
252:Chatham, Ontario
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1152:. Retrieved
1141:the original
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1112:. Retrieved
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1083:. Retrieved
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1056:. Retrieved
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1035:the original
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998:. Retrieved
993:
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959:Hall of Fame
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925:the original
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872:. Retrieved
861:the original
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761:. Retrieved
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708:. Retrieved
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664:February 14,
662:. Retrieved
658:the original
619:. Retrieved
614:
593:the original
441:Other honors
423:Red Berenson
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228:World War II
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61:Tokyo, Japan
57:(2023-07-09)
55:July 9, 2023
15:
1235:2023 deaths
1230:1943 births
706:. Postmedia
533:Second Team
156:Wakabayashi
1224:Categories
1193:Gerry Kell
1054:. NCAA.org
853:jihf.or.jp
565:References
498:First Team
454:Reference
297:Al Renfrew
288:Collegiate
198:Early life
160:ice hockey
102:Played for
38:1943-04-23
1177:Olympedia
258:with the
226:. During
213:romanized
194:in 2006.
166:champion
1154:July 15,
1144:(by the
1137:WCHA.com
1114:July 15,
1085:July 15,
1058:June 19,
1000:July 15,
892:(2001).
874:July 16,
864:(by the
833:July 12,
763:July 15,
710:July 14,
621:July 14,
351:and the
204:Japanese
82:Position
47:, Canada
1205:1965–66
976:NHL.com
555:1965–66
538:1965–66
520:1964–65
503:1964–65
485:1964–65
215::
148:Hitoshi
902:
448:Award
295:coach
86:Centre
74:Weight
66:Height
1052:(PDF)
451:Year
407:Tokyo
188:Seibu
97:Right
1156:2023
1116:2023
1087:2023
1060:2013
1002:2023
900:ISBN
876:2023
835:2023
765:2023
712:2023
666:2009
623:2023
615:IIHF
547:WCHA
530:WCHA
528:All-
512:WCHA
495:WCHA
493:All-
477:AHCA
468:1964
460:NCAA
431:WCHA
425:and
320:and
240:Herb
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