Gretzky will visit China from Sept. 12-18, making promotional stops in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghaigetty images
WAYNE GRETZKY has been appointed as a global ambassador for the KHL Chinese Kunlun Red Star as "part of a long-term agreement" that will see him "involved in a comprehensive youth development program in China," according to Sun Xiaochen of CHINADAILY.com. Red Star will open the KRS-Gretzky Hockey School to "provide players aged 8-17 with advanced hockey training at facilities in Beijing and Shenzhen, and plans to expand the program to at least 20 locations across the country over the next five years." Gretzky will visit China from Sept. 12-18, making "promotional stops in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai" (CHINADAILY.com, 8/8). The AP notes China is "seeking to boost hockey in a country where winter sports participation remains in its infancy." For the second year, the NHL is "holding promotional games in China," with the Bruins and Flames facing off in Shenzhen on Sept. 15 and Beijing on Sept. 19. NHL Commissioner GARY BETTMAN has so far been "noncommittal" about the NHL going to the '22 Beijing Games after skipping the Pyeongchang Games. But the work is already "under way in an increasingly competitive sports market in China, where the NBA has had a presence for decades" (AP, 8/8).
