About to turn 37 years old, Henrik Sedin didn鈥檛 sound overly thrilled about the prospect of having to fly across the Pacific Ocean to play a couple of exhibition games ahead of the gruelling NHL season.
The captain of the Vancouver Canucks at the same time also understands what getting a foothold in China, a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, could mean for both the league and its players.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big market,鈥� Sedin said last week in Vancouver. 鈥滻f we can get that market on our side and interested in our brand and sport, it鈥檚 going to be huge for us. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good start.鈥�
The Canucks will meet the Los Angeles Kings in Shanghai on Thursday and Beijing on Saturday in two showcase games as the NHL makes its first foray into the country.
Vancouver 馃洬
鈥� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Shanghai 馃洭 take flight with a swanky en route to China.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e just got to take it for what it is and enjoy the trip (and) make the best of the two games,鈥� added Sedin.
The Canucks departed on a roughly 10-hour flight from Vancouver to China around noon local time Sunday and, with the 15-hour time difference, arrived in Shanghai early Monday afternoon.
While probably not an ideal scenario for a rookie head coach trying to drag a team that finished 28th and 29th in the NHL the last two seasons back to respectability, Travis Green is embracing the chance for his group to bond and experience something different.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been one to worry about things I don鈥檛 control,鈥� Green said at the start of training camp. 鈥滻t鈥檚 a great opportunity for guys to get together on the road and go to China 鈥� I鈥檓 going to gather that most of them have never been there 鈥� and see a part of the world you might never get to again.鈥�
Vancouver forward Sam Gagner, who signed a three-year free-agent deal this summer, said he鈥檚 eager to get to know his teammates in a unique environment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a positive, especially for a new guy,鈥� he said. 鈥漎ou鈥檙e away from everything. It鈥檚 going to be a good experience.鈥�
While the NHL isn鈥檛 sending its players to the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February, the league has a keen eye towards the 2022 Games in Beijing as China continues to invest heavily in winter sports, including hockey.
The Canucks 鈥� who along with the Kings are among a number of NHL teams that have already held youth camps for Chinese players 鈥� are looking forward to the chance to help grow the game in the world鈥檚 most populous country, which has embraced the NBA over the past couple of decades.
But what the NHL doesn鈥檛 yet have is a marquee player like former basketball star Yao Ming, meaning fans in China need an introduction to the sport in other ways to get them interested.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be fun,鈥� said Vancouver centre Bo Horvat. 鈥淗opefully we can put on a good show.鈥�
With long road trips and cross-continental flights a fact of life playing on the West Coast, the Canucks have invested heavily in sleep science in the past. General manager Jim Benning said the club has done everything it can to ensure things goes as smoothly as possible.
鈥淲hen to leave to fly over there 鈥� when to come back to give the players the best opportunity to get their rest,鈥� said Benning. 鈥漌e鈥檝e talked about everything from meals (and) making sure the players have some of the things they like to have.鈥�
Fans back in Vancouver will have to wake up early or stay up late to see the games, with Thursday鈥檚 opening faceoff set for 4:30 a.m. PST and Saturday鈥檚 scheduled for 12:30 a.m. PST.
Apart from practising and playing, the Canucks will also get to play tourist, with a trip to the Great Wall of China among the planned outings.
鈥淕etting to see a new culture is not something we usually get a chance to do,鈥� said centre Brandon Sutter. 鈥滻鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l have a couple fun days.鈥�
But in the end, the trip is about business as the NHL looks to expand its footprint in a country seen as having vast and untapped potential.
鈥淚t鈥檚 growing,鈥� said Vancouver forward Daniel Sedin. 鈥滻t鈥檚 good for our league to get in there.鈥�
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
