After it was announced earlier this month that the NHL would be holding two preseason games in China next season, many linked that to the upcoming Beijing Olympics in 2022. Growing the game prior to sending NHL players to one of the biggest sporting events in the world seemed prudent. In his latest column, John Shannon of Sportsnet walks us through why growing the game in China doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the Olympics and instead is more because of the “virgin market” the country presents.
What’s different and noteworthy about this venture in China is that the Chinese want the NHL there, and not just because the 2022 Olympics will be in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping has apparently developed a passion for hockey and as a result, 3,000 hockey arenas are to be built in the country.
Shannon goes on to note that several teams in the league already have agreements with companies and leagues in China, including Toronto who apparently have 6000 kids playing Maple Leafs-branded hockey each week. Though it’s just preseason next year, perhaps China will be the next destination for the SAP NHL Global Series. In 2017, the NHL will be headed to Stockholm for two games between the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators.
- The Kitchener Rangers of the OHL have a new boss, and it’s a name familiar to hockey fans across North America. Mike McKenzie will take over as GM of the junior franchise after Murray Hiebert has transitioned into the Director of Hockey Operations role. McKenzie is the son of TSN Insider Bob McKenzie, a long-time face of hockey in print and television in Canada and the United States. The Rangers are currently down 3-1 in their OHL playoff series against the Owen Sound Attack.
- The Charlotte Checkers (affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes) have signed Justin Fazio to an amateur tryout now that his Sarnia Sting have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. The Sting were swept out of the first round by the powerhouse Erie Otters. The undrafted goaltender will turn 20 in just over a month, and will replace Tom McCollum on the roster as he deals with personal issues. The Checkers have been down their starter Alex Nedeljkovic while he backs up Cam Ward in Carolina after Eddie Lack’s recent injury. Fazio had an .896 save percentage for the Sting this season.