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Bright changed Canadian jersey for Japanese one

He was born in Calgary but despite that he was awarded as the best player of team Japan in the game versus Kazakhstan today (3:5). Forward with number 77 – Chris Bright.

 

“Today we didn’t play our best, the momentum was taken away by bad penalties,” says Chris Bright, who at the age of thirty-three plays his second World Championship. In 1995 in Sweden it was his first World Hockey Championship. He played there for team Canada which won the bronze medal at the Championship, he had three assists in seven games. But today he is a Japanese citizen. In September 2003 Bright received Japanese citizenship and thanks to new rules that the IIHF released in June 2003, he can play for Japan on the international level.

 

Bright was drafted in 1990 in the fourth round by Hartford Whalers, but he never played in the NHL. He has spent four years in the AHL playing for Springfield Indians and played for team Canada three times at the Spengler Cup and two times at Swedish Games.

 

In 94-95 season Bright left North America to play in Japan with the intention of just trying out their league. But this trip changed to a long-term cooperation and Bright lives and plays hockey in Japan already for nine years. He plays for one of the four professional teams in the Japanese league – the Kokudo. “I feel good in Japan, even the language is fine. I can speak, read and wirte in Japanese without problems,“ reveals Bright. In Japan he played so far 312 games and scored 465 points. But he will spend the summer time in Calgary. “My family is already there and I will join them after the Championship,“ adds Bright.

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