'In time, hockey will join basketball at the top of the charts in China,' Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's CEO, Scott O'Neil, said Monday.
Another boost for ice hockey in China will be the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. In preparation for the games, China has been organizing national league matches for their national ice hockey team to help improve their capabilities. Beijing has also invited Chinese players from overseas leagues to return to play for China.China currently has 400 ice hockey rinks in the country but more needs to be done in terms of infrastructure, he pointed out.
More rinks are still needed to grow the sport — but that's going to take time, as much more infrastructure is needed to build an ice rink than other sporting facilities, such as a basketball court. NHL has been exploring the Chinese market, with its commissioner Gary Bettman working on grassroots programs to "plough the way," according to O'Neil.
"The key, I think for hockey, just like it is in the NBA ... is just the sense that we have to bring the game here," he said. "And then we have to do a much better job on our terms of creating content, so that the incredible fans of China can see and experience these incredible athletes as people."
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