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Beijing 2022: IIHF could pull China’s men’s ice hockey team from Olympics says new president

  • China’s men’s ice hockey team are ranked 32nd in the world and are set to face NHL superstars in February
  • New IIHF president Luc Tardiff says they are mulling the idea of pulling China from the tournament

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Brandon Yip of the Kunlun Red Star looks to lead a team of Chinese ice hockey players against NHL superstars in February. Photo: Visual China Group via Getty Images
Patrick Blennerhassett
As National Hockey League players kick off the 2021-22 season, the best ice hockey players in the world are set to showcase their talent in the first full campaign post Covid-19.
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However over in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, arguably the second best ice hockey league on the planet, a problem continues to boil over for the International Ice Hockey Federation and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The Kunlun Red Star, a Beijing-based team sit tied for last in the East Division. The team are billed as a showcase of China’s men’s ice hockey prowess as the squad has 21 Chinese nationals including a few who have played in the NHL or were drafted, including Brandon Yip and Zach Yuen. However they have only won four games in 16 matches, and have a goal differential of 39-58.

The squad are supposed to be warming up for the host country’s first-ever appearance in ice hockey at Beijing 2022, but chances are the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) may pull the plug on the team before then to avoid an internationally embarrassing moment.

The NHL will be sending more than 150 players and the tournament will be the greatest showcase of ice hockey talent since 2014 in Sochi, and China finds itself in a group with the two gold medal favourites – Canada and the United States, along with dark horse contenders Germany.

02:20

China’s ice hockey athletes training hard ahead of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

China’s ice hockey athletes training hard ahead of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Both teams will be loaded with superstar talent while Germany have one of the best players and goalies in the world – Leon Draistaitl and Philipp Grubauer – and the issue came to a head recently after the election of new IIHF president Luc Tardiff.

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