Bruins coming 'home' to China

It will be something of a homecoming for the Boston Bruins when they clash with the Calgary Flames in a pair of NHL preseason games in Shenzhen and Beijing, on Sept 15 and 19 respectively.

For the Bruins, who in 2016 signed a five-year partnership with Beijing-based ORG Packaging to help grow hockey in China, the trip also represents an opportunity to check the progress of the team's youth development initiatives here. Last summer, Bruins forward David Pastrnak - currently the leading scorer in the Stanley Cup playoffs - headed training camps for more than 150 young Chinese players in Beijing and Shanghai.

The Bruins also hosted 22 Chinese youth players from the Beijing Hockey Association, including clinics and games against teams in New England - something the club will repeat annually, with a new group of players each time, during the five-year contract.