William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog for the past 10 years. Douglas joined NHL.com in March 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, as part of the NHL's celebration of Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, he profiles Hitoshi "Mel" Wakabayashi, who starred at the University of Michigan, played in the Japan Ice Hockey League and coached Japan at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
Color of Hockey: Wakabayashi still inspiring players of Japanese descent
Former Michigan star, Olympic coach 'like a superstar' to younger generations