The NHL will play a pair of preseason games in China prior to the start of the 2018-19 NHL season. The Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames will meet twice — on September 15 at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen-Longgang, and on September 19 at Cadillac Arena in Beijing. Both games will be officiated by NHL officials who are also making the trip to China.

 

Referees and Linesmen for September 15:

 

Boston Bruins vs. Calgary Flames – 2:30am EST


Referees: Frederick L’Ecuyer #17, Ian Walsh #29

Linesmen: Brian Mach #78, Kiel Murchison #79

 

From the NHL:

Bringing preseason games to China is a piece of the National Hockey League’s long-term business strategy in China, and with a population of more than 1.3 billion, China is committed to hockey and expects to expand its participation in all winter sports to 300 million people by 2022. The NHL® looks to work side by side with sports bureaus across China in developing grassroots hockey programs, supporting local youth hockey and hockey development at all levels. Bloomage International Culture & Sports Development Co., one of the NHL’s China based partners, will also play a vital role in helping to promote hockey culture across various regions of the country, supporting the League and its youth hockey initiatives. The League will aim to develop programs to provide schools with training and instructional content to implement these impactful hockey programs that promote physical education, sportsmanship, teamwork and fitness through participation in hockey.

Wayne Gretzky will be joining the teams and officials in China to help promote the game.

 

The NHL also continued to add Chinese elements to its traditional Player Media Tour in Chicago this week. During the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour, more than 30 NHL star players will greet fans across China in Chinese through the NHL’s official Chinese social media platforms including, Weibo and WeChat. Players will also participate in the entertaining “Hockey Puck Challenge 2.0,” a race against the clock to flip as many hockey pucks in 30 seconds with chopsticks and will learn how to write their name in Chinese.

As the founding partner of the NHL China Games™, O.R.G. Packaging returns as the event sponsor, and this year will be the title sponsor. The company has played an instrumental role in bringing NHL hockey to China and continues to collaborate with the League and its member clubs to conduct various youth clinics and camps. In addition, both SAP and adidas return as event sponsors, and Tsingtao will return as the Official Beer of the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games™. Tsingtao is creating commemorative edition NHL China Games™ cans, featuring the China Games, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames logos. PPG is expanding its NHL partnership into China for the 2018 NHL China Games. PPG, the official paint partner of the NHL since 2017 has invested in China since the 1980s. Lynk & Co, The “Official Car of the NHL China Games”, the NHL’s first-ever car partner in China, will be donating the stylish Lynk & Co 02 sports crossover SUV after the game in Shenzhen and Want -Want, the official Dairy product of the NHL in China is creating special edition packaging featuring David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins.

All the best to the players, teams, and officials taking part in the NHL China Games!