NHL China Games Marks Historic Move to Asia Next Season
The NHL China Games will take place during the 2017-18 NHL preseason schedule, and will feature two games in Shanghai and Beijing
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The NHL China games will be the first time the NHL has experimented with the Asian market. The NBA continues to demonstrate incredible successful in China, and it looks like the NHL will follow in their footsteps.
Gary Bettman made the official announcement last night at the Huaxi LIVE Wukesong's Le Sports Center in Beijing via NHL.com. The preliminary steps include two preseasons games; one on September 21 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, and the second on September 23 in Beijing. O.R.G. Packaging is the primary sponsor, and they hope to grow the sport throughout the country prior to the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Kings, Canucks Leading the Asian Movement
Interestingly enough, the two most prominent Asian cities in Canada and the United States have been selected to lead the campaign. While the Vancouver Canucks have a long-standing Chinese population, the same can be said for the Los Angeles Kings on a much larger scale. Not to mention, the North American Chinese population have grown to love hockey as well, making the NHL's decision even sweeter from a promotional standpoint.
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As next season rolls around, it will be intriguing to see the marketing campaigns and the players' reactions. There are plenty of moving pieces for such a global campaign, and everyone needs to be on board. Hopefully, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin will see some spotlight, as they have led Canucks for more than a decade. The same can be said for Anze Kopitar and that gem of a smile.
All in all, this should be a great experience for all involved, and it will make NHL preseason a bit more exciting for the North American fans.
Drew Doughty: the Face of Hockey in China
Judging by the promotions, it looks like Drew Doughty will be leading the charge throughout the summer, as they ramp up the marketing heading into September. The Kings released the following tweet last night, as Bettman made the official announcement.
.@kobebryant and David Beckham welcome Drew Doughty to China! pic.twitter.com/coNeLpa94N
— #LAKings (@LAKings) March 30, 2017
Funny enough, the missing tooth upholds the goon-like mentality of some North Americans, but Doughty looked as great as ever during the promo.
So did David Beckham and Kobe Bryant.
Fundamentally, picking a player from the Kings seems like the best bet. It is one of the most popular cities in the world, and Bryant was revolutionary in bringing basketball and the NBA to Asia. Doughty is extremely successful, and an endearing character to help market the game of hockey abroad.
For the NHL, the is a strong move to try and grow the sport on a global level. China has shown evidence of growing popularity, and the NHL is wasting no time. With two preseasons games coming up in September, it will be interesting to see how far this goes.
Personally, I'm hoping to see some over-spill into India, and the country finally picks up the lovely sport of hockey.
One can dream.
