Dec 7: After weeks of deliberation and a two-day meeting of the IIHF Council, it has been determined that China will be given a host qualification position and participate in the men’s tournament. They will play in a group with the U.S. and Canada.
Nov 23: As the 2022 Winter Olympics draw closer, there are still more than a few major questions looming over the Beijing games. One that seemed to have been answered is the status of the host nation’s entry into the Men’s Hockey tournament. Though the host nation typically earns an automatic bid into the tournament, the IIHF has expressed concerns about the talent level of the Chinese team and its impact on the tournament. Yet, just a few weeks ago the international governing body announced that it was moving forward with China taking part in the tournament and had scheduled a pair of preparation games for the national team against KHL competition. After China lost both games last week, the issue appears up for debate once more. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the IIHF will meet, along with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, on Friday to discuss whether the team is competitive enough to compete at the top international stage. The International Olympic Committee has granted them the power to make the ultimate decision.
China is currently ranked No. 32 in the world by the IIHF. That ranking is out of 55 registered nations, putting China in the lower half of the world’s hockey playing countries. They sit behind powerhouses like Spain, Estonia, and Lithuania and just one spot ahead of Australia. Yet, they are expected to skate in group play with Canada, the United States, and Germany, the countries ranked No. 1, No. 4, and No. 5 respectively. For whatever reason, the IIHF has maintained through the long Olympic qualifying process that they would honor the tradition of the host nation receiving a qualifying bid. Even after new IIHF President Luc Tardif took over the mantle, he agreed that the IIHF would not make the solo decision to remove China from the tournament. However, his tune has changed slightly of late, as he was quoted in a recent interview with the Agence-French Presse as stating “Watching a team being beaten 15-0 is not good for anyone, not for China, or for ice hockey.”
Having now watched China square off with two KHL clubs, the IIHF feels they have the information they need to make an educated decision. While the KHL is one of the best leagues in the world, it’s team are significantly less talented than NHL clubs and most Olympic entries – especially China’s group opponents like Canada and the U.S. – include only the best of the best in the NHL. No one expects China to win, but what good does it serve anyone if they just embarrass themselves?
If China is removed from the tournament, the highest-ranked team not currently in the field will take their place. As Tardif recently noted when speaking on this possibility: “Norway is ready.” The Norwegians were somewhat stunned by Denmark in Olympic qualifying, but the No. 11-ranked nation may still get a second chance yet. Norway would of course still be an underdog in each of its group play matches, but would at least have a shot and could be competitive. Mats Zuccarello, Andreas Martinsen, Mathias Emilio Petterssen, and company would be ready for the challenge, far more than China anyway. Whether the IIHF takes into account the vast superiority of the replacement option remains to be seen however.
they are the host country. would be stupid to try and get them to pull out of their own olympics.
If you get Covid at the Olympics your quarantined In China for three weeks. This is why athlete should not go
Guess whos olympic team not gonna get covid
Will the Government tell if there athletes got Covid??
if you’re concerned about that as an athlete then you can not go if you want. no one’s forcing you.
There is a solution to this.
Play a four nation invite event to promote the game. I don’t have an issue with handing out GSB medals either. This is to help grow the sport in a country where it needs it. Maybe have 2 nations within 5 ranking spots and one below it.
Could have each club sponsored by leagues around the world,with a logo on the shoulders.
Having China play and get beat by 20 is just not right.
Good idea
Let them stay I want to see the CCP get absoultey embarrassed on a global scale
5 demand not one less !!!
Maybe ask Lebron to play?
Lol
He would have to get his approval from his OB/GYN
There goes McDavid’s chance to have a 50 goal game.
Fake outrage rules the day once again!
Well … it’s not as if anyone’s going to SEE China be humiliated. The Chinese aren’t allowing spectators, and you can’t imagine that NBC, the CBC or the BBC are going to televise their matches.
CBC will broadcast the Canada vs China game and I bet NBC will do the same when they play the States.
Perhaps Putin could suit up for China. Doesn’t he average 10 goals a game in the league he plays in?
Get China out of there. Norway at least has a small amount of NHL talent. It won’t be ashamed in it’s playing.
And hold the games in a “free” nation as well.
Yeah, these major spectacles aren’t likely to be in “free” nations much, ever again. Real democracies have voters who balk at paying the tens of billions in bribes and white elephants for the spectacles the IOCs and FIFAs of the world demand. Dictatorships don’t.
“Not likely to be in “free” nations much, ever again.”
The next four announced Olympics will be in France, Italy, USA, and Australia. All with democratic/parliamentary governments. Looks like USA didn’t balk at the brides
Ya it’s getting bad. My second favorite sport is F1 and in 2021 alone they added Qatar and Saudi Arabia to the schedule which is already on top of questionable human rights nations like Hungary, The UAE, and China. As the saying goes, cash is king. It’s just the way that todays democracies work, which is incredibly sad.
The bigger question should be “why is anyone going to the CCP Olympics anyway?”. Let Team China play team North Korea for the gold.
The loser of the two teams gets eaten alive by piranhas on live tv. That would be a show regardless of their skill level and what a growth for hockey!
Praying for China
Would love to see the CCP take it on the chin.
This literally benefits nobody. There’s no child in China who is going to decide they want to become a hockey player because they watched their home country lose 22-0 instead of Norway lose 7-1.
To have China in that tournament is retarded.
Well let’s just look at the silver lining.
Best- They play decent (not saying win lol) and some kids take interest and there’s growth for the sport. Growth is needed in hockey.
Worst- They get dumpstered on national TV, people get schnockered on goal based drinking games, and the point is proved of the people disagreeing with this decision.
I would luv to see Canada crush China in hockey, while wearing jersey’s that all say “Michael” on the back.