Beijing: The NHL will play its first-ever pre-season games in China this autumn, its commissioner announced Thursday, as Beijing pushes winter sports ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks will square off on September 21 in Shanghai and on September 23 in Beijing, where the deal between the NHL and Chinese biotechnology group Bloomage International was announced.
Many Chinese firms have invested in China's sports industry in recent years, often in an attempt to curry favour with the government, which has made promoting the country's sporting prowess a national objective.
"We look forward to our first games in China and to a variety of initiatives that will inspire generations of Chinese players and fans," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
"We recognise the importance of helping China build a strong national hockey programme," he said.
