Montreal's Leah Lum on connecting with her heritage and prepping for playoffs

Over the course of her hockey career, Leah Lum has gained a unique perspective. Not just on the ice, where she’s a rare dual-threat skater, regularly suiting up on forward and defence at every level, but around the game, too — her journey having taken her to rinks across the globe. 

On this particular Monday in Montreal, a quiet day off before the final push to the PWHL playoffs, Lum is happy to reflect.

Her face lights up when she talks about each stop, from her first days playing on a boys’ team in her hometown of Richmond, B.C., to hoisting the Isobel Cup as part of the PHF’s Toronto Six last spring, and now preparing to challenge for a brand-new trophy with PWHL Montreal. But there’s one stop along the way that will always hold an extra special place in her heart: a four-year stint playing for Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays in Shenzhen, China.  

“When you're little, playing, you have no idea the things that it will let you do,” Lum says. “It was such a dream to go over there and play professionally. I just kind of soaked in every moment and immersed myself into my heritage.” 

Lum, a fourth-generation Chinese-Canadian whose family has been based in B.C. since her great-great-grandparents settled in Vancouver, had never been to China before moving there to play pro hockey for the 2018-19 season.  

She first learned of the opportunity a few years earlier from Margaret “Digit” Murphy, a long-time college hockey coach who at the time was helping start up a pair of new CWHL clubs in China with an eye to helping grow the game in the market ahead of the 2022 Olympics. Lum knew of other players who’d gone over for the first season, including goaltender Elaine Chuli, with whom she played at UConn (and later PHF Toronto, and now PWHL Montreal). Lum calls her time playing abroad “probably the best four years of my life.” After playing professionally there, she also represented China on the world stage at the Olympics as well as at the world championships, one of a handful of dual-passport Chinese-Canadian players in the program.  

During a wide-ranging conversation via video call ahead of her team’s final showdown of the regular season, Lum opened up about her time playing and growing the game in China, and how it helped her connect with her heritage. She also talked about her mindset heading into the first-ever PWHL playoffs, her expectations for the post-season, and what it’s like to suit up alongside Marie-Philip Poulin in Montreal. 

SPORTSNET: When you think back to your time playing in China, what stands out most in terms of the culture and growth around the game?

LUM: It's a hot climate [in Shenzhen], so you're kind of just like, 'I don't really think hockey's going to be huge here,' but the development from my first year there to my last year there — from my teammates, and then throughout the entire thing … just seeing how involved the fans were and how they are with the minor hockey and getting kids into the game, it was huge.

The whole development, from my first year to the last year, was so cool to be a part of, to grow the game over there and just see it evolve the way it did, was very special. And still to this day, I know a bunch of my Chinese teammates who are there, developing the game every single day with all the kids that want to play hockey.

All that growth was with the Olympics in mind, with the 2022 Games being held in Beijing. What was it like, then, for you to suit up for the Chinese national team and compete for the home side?

It sucks that it had to be during Covid — that was probably the worst part of it, [we] just definitely couldn't have the fanbase that we wanted to have. It's such a special time as an athlete. You know, this is like the peak of the peak, where you want to get to, and not having your family members being able to come over. But it kind of made our team a little bit closer. You know, you get to soak it all in with them and everyone else around you. From the beginning, that was the mission, that was the goal, to get to the Olympics — and obviously hosting, you had an automatic bid into it. So, for me, the coolest part was being there and knowing that, you know, 'This is my heritage.' I feel like it's such an indescribable feeling, knowing that you're there, representing who you are, with everyone else around you. I don't even know how to describe it, it's such a gratifying feeling. That was also probably one of the coolest experiences of my life, obviously. It's the Olympics — nothing compares to that, from an athlete's standpoint. So, I tried to take it in as much as I could.

I’m curious, who are some of the players you watched when you were rising up in hockey?

For my generation in particular, I think it was Marie-Philip Poulin. I remember being in high school [during] the 2010 Games and watching her score that golden goal. And then from there, she just took off. 

It's incredible to just see her craft, not only through the TV, but now I get to watch it every single day, which has been probably the coolest thing for me. Not trying to fangirl my own teammate [laughs].

I mean, how could you not?

I crossed over with her, because of her Olympic year, in university — so, my freshman year at [UConn], she was still at [Boston University]. So, I got to play against her then. And I still remember the game where we were winning, I think 3-1, going into the third period, and all of a sudden she just scores a hat trick. And we're just like, 'Okay! [Laughs.] We were so close, but okay.’ She just turned on the jets.

Now, you’re teammates in Montreal. What’s that been like?

Her and Laura [Stacey] are just two very genuine, humble people. They're great leaders. On the ice, they come to practice every single day, in the weight room every single day. You know, they're pushing each other and they're pushing us, they're pushing their teammates, to always get better. You watch them and you're just like, ‘These two are the greatest players in the game’ — and for a reason, you know? They work so hard at every single aspect. And it's even better that they're the best people off the ice, too.

You and your teammates have a big week coming up, with the regular season ending with one last push for first place, followed by the playoffs kicking off next week. What are your thoughts on the playoff format, particularly with the pick-your-opponent rule for the No. 1 seed?

Yeah, it's definitely different. I think it's very unique, and I love how the PWHL has kind of brought in their own rules — one being the jailbreak on the penalty kill as well.

I love that one. 

I think it's super unique. I don't think things need to be the same as the NHL — you know, we're kind of creating our own here. It's been super cool. But, yeah, the playoff format is definitely interesting. Obviously, you can't look too much into it, whether we come first and have that selection or not, we're probably going to go into the [final] game with the same preparation we have been all season. Kori [Cheverie] and the rest of the coaching staff have done a great job, just making sure that we're prepared, regardless of who we're playing. And that's going to be no different going into the playoffs.

Do you feel a sort of shift in your mindset, looking ahead to the playoffs?

There's definitely going to be more intensity, for sure, but I think this league in general from the start has kind of exceeded all expectations. Basically from the first game, every single game that we played this season has been like a playoff game. It's so intense. It's so fast. It's so physical. So, it's just going to be the same — just, obviously there's more at stake now. So, you know, the shot blocking, making sure pucks get deep, the little details within the game are going to be emphasized a bit more. 

It doesn't necessarily change our mindsets — we're still going to make sure we're prepared in every single way that we can be. It's just a series of five. And our group's going to put everything on the line. ...  It's go time, for sure.