Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin to visit China as NHL ambassador

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will visit Beijing next month as an NHL ambassador. Ovechkin is the perfect choice to grow hockey in the country.

Even though the heart of the game remains in Canada and the Northern United States, the NHL has made substantial pushes to increase its footprint over the past few decades. Growing the game internationally should help the NHL catch up to the NFL, MLB, and NBA in popularity. The NHL announced that Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will visit China next month to serve as an international ambassador for the NHL.

The NHL has set its sights on China, the world’s most populous country, by holding preseason matchups there the past two seasons. They’ve also taken the Stanley Cup for its first-ever Chinese tour. Now the NHL is about to take a major step forward by sending one of its top superstars to Beijing.

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What exactly are the duties of an International ambassador? The official NHL press release includes activities such as official business development meetings, holding and attending youth clinics, as well as the obligatory media tour with the press. Ovechkin seems incredibly excited at the prospect that lies ahead.

"“I think it is very important to spend time to help make people all over the world see how great a game hockey is. I can’t wait to spend time with all the hockey fans there and I hope to meet young kids who will be future NHL players. I can’t wait for this trip!”"

The NHL’s choice for Ovechkin to be the face of the NHL for this Chinese trip is a fantastic one, for a very specific reason. He ranks among the NHL’s most recognizable stars, along with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.

However, a notable difference is Ovechkin is from Russia. Compared to Crosby and McDavid, who are from Canada, China is much closer in both culture and location to Russia, especially in the world of hockey.

After all, the top Russian league the KHL has its own team in China. Chinese audiences will most likely be more receptive to the Russian Ovechkin that his North American counterparts.

China can be a potential hotbed for ice hockey, as the country is committed to increasing participation in winter sports. This, of course, is all ahead of Beijing playing host to the 2022 Winter Olympics, the first time the event will be held in China.

Although Canada and the United States have already qualified for the tournament, the NHL still has yet to decide if their players will be eligible for participation.

Even with all the excitement surrounding winter sports and professional hockey in the world’s most populous country, China has yet to make a breakthrough in the NHL.

The first Chinese player to be selected in the NHL draft was Andong “Misha” Song by the New York Islanders in 2015. At a young age, Song moved from China to Canada to develop his hockey skill, although he started playing the sport in his native country.

Although the NHL still has a lot of work to do, the groundwork is there. At the time of Song’s drafting, there were approximately 1,500 youth ice hockey players in Beijing. Hopefully, Ovechkin’s visit can increase interest in the region.