China’s Olympic Hockey Hopes Rest On North American Talent
Feb 2, 2022, 10:56 AM
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
BEIJING (AP) — China’s men’s hockey team at the Beijing Olympics features 19 players who were born, trained or both in North America.
The group includes Americans Jake Chelios and Jeremy Smith and Canadians Brandon Yip and Ryan Sproul. Some have no connection to China other than playing for Beijing-based Kunlun Red Star in the KHL.
Jake Chelios Selected for 2022 Olympic Games https://t.co/Gan60iXJpG
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 27, 2022
Playing for Kunlun paved the way for the players to be eligible to represent China in the Olympics.
The influx of North American players and lack of NHL talent could make China more competitive in the tournament than expected.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
Beijing is the capital of China, with a population of more than 20 million people and the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. It is one of the largest cities in the world and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are 13 different venues in and around Beijing that will be used for the Winter Olympics. A total of 109 events will be held in 15 different sports, and there will be a lot of Utah locals competing for medals. Keep up to date with them at our Olympic headquarters.
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