NHL Establishes Their First-Ever Youth Program in Beijing

By Ryan Gandolfo, September 21, 2018

Ice hockey made a groundbreaking step on Tuesday, with the NHL bringing the sport to China at the grass-roots level.

The Los Angeles Kings, 2014 Stanley Cup champions, announced on September 19 they have established a youth development program in China, partnering with ORG Packaging.

According to the NHL, the registration period is now open for aspiring young hockey players. The youth program expects two or three teams to be formed, and caters to youth from 8 to 10 years old.

The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, is the first-ever youth hockey program to be started by an NHL team in the country and displays the league’s interest in building the brand in the world’s most populous nation.

Image via NHL

The initivative, Beijing Jr. Kings, will be led by former Kings forward Todd Elik (head coach) and ex-professional goalie Mitch O’Keefe (goalie coach). The legendary Wayne Gretzky, a former teammate of Elik, once praised his “tremendous amount of talent,” while they played together on the Kings. Both former players have spent time coaching since retiring from the NHL.

Elik and O’Keefe are optimistic about the potential shown by the young Chinese athletes. O’Keefe made reference to China’s performance in speed skating at the Winter Olympics and believes a lot of athletes have ‘the speed factor.’

The NHL has been building their presence in Asia with two successful China Games series, playing in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, over the last two years. In late July, That’s spoke with David Proper, the NHL’s executive vice president of media and international strategy, to discuss the NHL’s expansion into the Chinese market. Proper pointed out that the 2022 Winter Olympics, set to be hosted in Beijing, has allowed the NHL to offer their expertise to organizations looking to grow the sport in China.

The Kings have been bringing a whole lot of experience to the nation’s capital. The organization has been traveling to China for the past three summers, working with young players, coaches and hockey officials to help introduce the sport to a country with limited exposure to the game.

Will the NHL follow the path of the NBA's success in China? Only time will tell.

[Cover image via NHL]