Masahito Nishiwaki

Masahito Nishiwaki
Date of birth	October 6, 1984
place of birth	Kushiro , Japan
size	178 cm
Weight	77 kg
position	striker
Shot hand	Right
Career stations
1999-2001	Midorigaoka
2001-2002	Waseda University
2004-2007	Nippon Paper Cranes
2007-2008	Dayton Bombers
since 2008	Nippon Paper Cranes

Masahito Nishiwaki ( Japanese 西 脇 雅 仁 , Nishiwaki Masahito ; born October 6, 1984 in Kushiro , Hokkaidō ) is a Japanese ice hockey player who has been playing again for the Nippon Paper Cranes in the Asia League Ice Hockey since 2008 .

Career

Masahito Nishiwaki began his career with the Midorgaoka team. He later moved to the Waseda University team . In 2004 he was signed by Nippon Paper Cranes from the Asia League Ice Hockey , but was only used there in his second season. In 2007 he won the Asia League with Paper Cranes. In 2006 and 2007 he was also the Japanese national champion with his team . After these successes he switched to the Dayton Bombers in the ECHL , but returned to the Nippon Paper Cranes in his native city of Kushiro after only one year . With the Paper Cranes he was able to win the Asia League in 2009 and 2014 and collect two more national championship titles in 2010 and 2011.

International

For Japan, Nishiwaki took part in the junior division of the U18 B World Championship 2000 , the U20 Junior C World Championship 2000 and the U20 World Championships of Division II in 2001 and 2002 .

In the senior sector, he was in his country's squad at the World Championships in Division I in 2005 , 2006 , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016 and 2017 . At the 2014 World Cup, he scored the equalizer for the Japanese to make it 2-2 in the decisive final group game against Hungary , thus maintaining the hope of being promoted back to the top division after ten years. Since the East Asians finally lost 4-5 after a shootout, they missed the jump and Austria rose instead.

He also played for Japan at the Winter Asian Games in 2007 and 2011 , where he won gold and silver medals with Japan. At the Winter Asian Games 2017 he finished third with the Japanese behind Kazakhstan and South Korea . He also represented his colors at the Olympic qualifying tournaments for the Winter Games in Vancouver 2010 , Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 .

Achievements and Awards

• 2006 Japanese champion with the Nippon Paper Cranes
• 2007 Championship of the Asia League Ice Hockey with the Nippon Paper Cranes
• 2007 Japanese champion with the Nippon Paper Cranes
• 2009 Championship of the Asia League Ice Hockey with the Nippon Paper Cranes
• 2010 Japanese champion with the Nippon Paper Cranes
• 2011 Japanese champion with the Nippon Paper Cranes
• 2014 Championship of the Asia League Ice Hockey with the Nippon Paper Cranes

International

• 2002 Promotion to Division I at the U20 World Cup of Division II
• 2007 gold medal at the Asian Winter Games
• 2011 silver medal at the Asian Winter Games
• 2017 bronze medal at the Winter Asian Games

Career statistics

				Regular season						Play-offs
season	team	league		Sp	T	V	Pt	SM		Sp	T	V	Pt	SM
2005/06	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		38	28	26th	54
2006/07	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		34	24	21st	45	34
2007/08	Dayton Bombers	ECHL		64	14th	17th	31	44
2008/09	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		33	10	10	20th	34
2009/10	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		36	16	13	29	24		9	3	3	6th	20th
2010/11	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		36	10	24	34	46		4th	1	2	3	6th
2011/12	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		33	10	9	19th	34		3	0	0	0	4th
2012/13	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		42	14th	14th	28	62		4th	0	1	1	8th
2013/14	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		42	14th	21st	35	44		7th	3	1	4th	2
2014/15	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		48	17th	22nd	39	32
2015/16	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		44	16	31	47	28		5	1	4th	5	0
2016/17	Nippon Paper Cranes	ALIH		31	7th	14th	21st	18th		2	0	0	0	16
ALIH total				417	166	205	371	402		49	16	19th	35	84
ECHL total				64	14th	17th	31	44

International

Represented Japan at:

U18-B World Championship 2000 U20-C World Championship 2000 U20 World Cup 2001, Division II U20 World Cup 2002, Division II World Championship 2005, Division I. World Championship 2006, Division I. World Championship 2007, Division I. World Championship 2008, Division I. Olympic qualification for 2010 World Championship 2009, Division I.

World Championship 2010, Division I. Winter Asian Games 2011 Olympic qualification for 2014 World Championship 2014, Division I. World Championship 2015, Division I. Olympic qualification for 2018 World Championship 2016, Division I. Winter Asian Games 2017 World Championship 2017, Division I.

year	team	event		Sp	T	V	Pt	SM
2000	Japan	U18-B-WM		5	3	1	4th	2
2000	Japan	U20-C-WM		4th	1	2	3	2
2001	Japan	U20 World Cup, Div. II		4th	4th	2	6th	0
2002	Japan	U20 World Cup, Div. II		4th	3	2	5	0
2005	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	3	2	5	0
2006	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	1	2	3	4th
2007	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	4th	2	6th	6th
2008	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	2	0	2	2
2009	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	1	2	3	8th
2009	Japan	Olympic qualification for 2010		3	0	0	0	0
2010	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	1	0	1	0
2011	Japan	Asia Winter Games		4th	0	3	3	6th
2013	Japan	Olympic qualification		3	0	0	0	2
2014	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	1	1	2	4th
2015	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	0	3	3	4th
2016	Japan	Olympic qualification		3	1	1	2	4th
2016	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	1	1	2	4th
2016	Japan	Olympic qualification		3	0	0	0	2
2017	Japan	Asia Winter Games		3	1	1	2	0
2017	Japan	WM, Div. I.		5	0	1	1	2

( Legend for player statistics: Sp or GP = games played; T or G = goals scored; V or A = assists scored ; Pkt or Pts = scorer points scored ; SM or PIM = penalty minutes received ; +/− = plus / minus balance; PP = overpaid goals scored ; SH = underpaid goals scored ; GW = winning goals scored; ¹  play-downs / relegation )

Web links

• Masahito Nishiwaki at eliteprospects.com (English)
• Masahito Nishiwaki at Nippon Paper Cranes (Japanese)