Ice hockey energized by Olympic fanfare

Ice hockey is riding on the momentum of Beijing's successful Winter Olympics bid to involve more Chinese youth in the sport.

The yelling of more than 20 children in full ice hockey gear and the sounds of skates cutting hard into the ice easily attracted passers-by in a north Beijing mall as the Beijing Minor Hockey League kicked off its 2015-16 season at the indoor rink on Saturday.

Thanks to the promotion through Beijing's successful 2022 Winter Olympics bid, junior participation in ice hockey has been surging in North China, highlighted by the rapid expansion of the minor league, which was initiated by the Beijing Hockey Association in 2008.