There was a time when the notion of a Japanese player making it to the top level of hockey was absurd enough that it became the butt of a joke.
In 1974, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach was so frustrated with the length of the NHL draft and, seeing no players left that interested him, had his organization draft a fictitious player named Taro Tsujimoto with the 183rd overall pick.
The ruse was eventually uncovered when the nonexistent Tsujimoto, who was even given a locker, failed to show up for training camp.
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