Shougang Group to send Eagles soaring
In the wake of the National Hockey League's first foray into the Chinese market, a collaborative development program is sending homegrown players to North America to hone their skills.
On the heels of last week's NHL China Games between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association on Thursday unveiled a five-year initiative with the Shougang Group to facilitate the sport's continued growth beyond the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Under the Hockey National Club Pioneers Program, Shougang Group, a State-owned enterprise that manages several professional sports clubs in Beijing, will work with the CIHA and the Beijing Sports Bureau to recruit young talent from domestic and overseas sources to build a multi-team club system named Beijing Shougang Eagles.
