Bruins To Hold Youth Clinics In China To Support Growing Popularity In Region
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- This is how you know the Bruins are desperate for defense. They're slapping the spoked 'B' on eight-year-olds in Beijing.
Kidding! But in all actuality, the team will make its first-ever trip to China next week as "Bruins Global: China 2016" takes places in Beijing and Shanghai from July 11-23. Matt Beleskey, David Pastrnak, and Bruins alumni Andrew Raycroft and Bob "Don't Call Me Don" Sweeney will travel to the cities, along with the Bruins Youth Hockey Development Team, to hold clinics for over 150 Chinese youth hockey players.
"The Boston Bruins have always been passionate about growing the game and sharing our team's rich history and tradition with fans all over the world," said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs in a press release from the team. The Bruins are the first North American pro sports organization to partner with Beijing-based O.R.G. Packaging in order to "grow the sport of hockey in China, strengthen the connection between the Bruins and the local Chinese community in New England, as well as educate North American residents about the growth of hockey in China."
Though you may not view China as a hub of hockey, youth participation is on the rise in the region after decades of a lack of government support for an inherently expensive sport. As of January there were about 1,800 players registered with the Beijing Ice Hockey Association and ice hockey is described as "one of the fastest growing winter sports" in Beijing, according to The Global Times in China. The Hong Kong Academy of Ice Hockey recently partnered with the NHL Alumni Association to re-launch the Youth Hockey League (Asia Region) for 2016-17. Even the KHL in Russia has established a team in Beijing for the fall of 2016.
The region envisions "300 million people on ice," supporting a surge in popularity of winter sports as Beijing prepares to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The Bruins are a little ahead of the curve in supporting that surge and possibly forging future partnerships. It's cool to see them lending a hand to youths in the region who recognize the long-term challenges of developing skills in such a specialized sport.
But seriously, is there anyone in Beijing who can play defense?
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
