On November 19, the first China Ice Hockey League, hosted by the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, commenced at the HC Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star in Longgang. The event aims to further enhance the competitive strength of China's men's ice hockey and identify and cultivate more high-level talent for the national team.
When it comes to why the first game was held in Shenzhen, Li Yutian, deputy director of the Competition Department of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, said, "Shenzhen has provided great support for the development of ice hockey. From the preparation period for the Beijing Winter Olympics to the post-Olympic period, Shenzhen has provided very significant support for the talent team building of the national team and the development of the men's and women's ice hockey leagues. In response to the national call for 'expanding ice hockey to the south', Shenzhen is a model city in the south where ice hockey has developed very fast. It's great to see more and more ice hockey enthusiasts getting involved."
The players gathered before the match.
The China Ice Hockey League will adopt a tournament format, divided into two stages: the regular season and the finals. The inaugural league (2024-2025 season) will run from November 19, 2024, to March 12, 2025, with 131 athletes from four teams—the Beijing Men's Ice Hockey Team, Anhui Xinhua Men's Professional Ice Hockey Team, Liaoning Shenyang Aomei Professional Ice Hockey Club, and HC Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star.
Teams from Anhui and Shenzhen are fiercely competing in the third round.
The regular season will be held in three cities-Shenzhen, Qiqihar, and Shenyang-each with 12 games, using a double-cycle system, for a total of 36 games.
After the completion of the three regular season matches, the four winning teams will enter the final stage. The finals will be held in Beijing from March 8 to 12, 2025, using a cross-match format (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3), with the winners competing for the championship and the others competing for third place.
The players from both teams are greeting each other.
The inaugural Chinese Ice Hockey League has introduced a foreign player mechanism, adding an international edge to the competition. Each team is permitted to sign up to five foreign players, and currently, 17 elite athletes from Russia and Belarus have joined the league. Beijing has signed four, Anhui three, while Liaoning and Shenzhen each secured five. The inclusion of these skilled players not only raises the competitive standard of the league but also infuses it with fresh energy and passion.
The two teams are neck-to-neck in an intense battle.
Ye Jinguang is being interviewed by the media.
Beijing Winter Olympics Chinese national men's ice hockey team captain Ye Jingguang said in an interview: "The Winter Olympics and World Championships were a great experience for me, and now with my new management role in the team, I will do my best to support the development of Chinese ice hockey and the promotion of the sport."
Reporter| Zhang Siyu, Liu Yueya
Editor| Huang Qini, James, Shen He
Photo| HC Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star
