Growing homegrown stars

Song and Ying encourage kids to pick up sticks

With hockey gaining a higher profile in China ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, two of the nation's brightest homegrown stars are encouraging youngsters to take up the world's toughest team sport.

In 2015, Beijing-born defenseman Song Andong became the first Chinese player drafted into the National Hockey League when he was selected 172nd overall by the New York Islanders.