Scott Stinson: China makes its men's hockey Olympic debut and it does not go well – National Post

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BEIJING – Not that long ago, there were concerns that China’s men’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics would be routinely smashed. Humiliated. Embarrassed.

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Placed in a group against Canada and the United States, teams expected to be led by Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and a host of NHL All-Stars, the Chinese team, only in the hockey competition because the host country gets a slot, and comprised almost entirely of North American pro-hockey journeyman, looked like it would be on the receiving end of some 10-0 blowouts. Scoring a goal would have been an accomplishment.

Team China got an unexpected reprieve, though, when the NHL pulled out of Beijing 2022 amid a rash of COVID-related disruptions to its schedule. Now the Chinese team of journeymen would face everyone else’s journeymen-heavy roster. Was it crazy to imagine that the hosts, a team that has largely played as a unit for years in preparation for this event, might even contend for a medal?

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It’s probably crazy to imagine that.

China’s debut in Olympic men’s hockey wasn’t a complete disaster, but after managing a respectable first frame against the United States, they surrendered three second-period goals on the way to a 8-0 loss to open preliminary-round play. A largely quiet Beijing crowd did not have much to cheer for, but nor did it really try. China and hockey always looked like it might be an awkward fit here, and on the evidence of one game it is exactly that. It was all part of a surreal scene at an Olympics that certainly hasn’t lacked for those.

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Before the on-ice warm-ups began, the house lights at National Indoor Stadium dimmed and pairs of cheerleaders came out, armed with glowing thundersticks, to perform a choreographed dance routine. “Cheerleaders” is not quite the right word here, as the stands were still completely empty so there was no one to lead in cheers, but they were clearly performing a cheerleading-type function.

Soon enough, the stands did start to fill, with an audience that was very keen to wave mini flags even if it wasn’t entirely sure when to make any noise. Even with a crowd of what looked to be a couple of thousand spectators in the building — the audience total was not announced — most of the noise came from players hollering at each other on the ice and especially from the benches, which could be heard easily, even in press seats on the other side of the arena.

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This is not a criticism of the domestic audience; there is no professional hockey league in China so the locals can be excused for not understanding the rhythms of the game. Other than rare moments when pockets of the crowd offered up a chant, they mostly seemed to appreciate when someone on Team China managed a little spin move. This, they could tell instinctively, required some skill.

Unfortunately for the home team, one of those spin moves, courtesy of Fu Jiang — otherwise known as Canadian Spencer Foo — resulted in the forward bumping into American goaltender Drew Commesso, and a penalty for China about halfway through the opening period. Brendan Brisson of the United States jumped on a loose puck in the slot on the ensuing power play and ripped it past Jieruimi Shimisi — otherwise known as American Jeremy Smith — for a 1-0 lead. Still, China finished the period trailing by the lone goal. They hadn’t really threatened Commesso, but they hadn’t been overwhelmed.

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That part came in the second period. The Americans outshot China 16-6 in the frame, capitalizing on turnovers and turning quick passes into goals. Smith, a former NHL goaltender, was unable to stop the onslaught.

The crowd wasn’t about to help Team China back into the game, either. At one point, down by a score of 4-0, the host side had what must have been the world’s quietest power play, when even decent scoring chances passed in silence. You know how hockey crowds yell “SHOOOOOOT” when the puck goes back to the point with the man advantage? There was no such anticipation among this bunch. The audience members did stand up and enjoy the intermission entertainment, though, when chubby Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen helped lead a dance number to the tune of Canadian Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe. A timeless classic.

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Perhaps the lopsided result should not have been unexpected. Even though the Americans were only modest 2.5-goal favourites before puck drop, the Chinese team is not exactly brimming with firepower. Yes, it has played together as the Kunlun Red Star in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League for a few seasons now, but it is also in last place in that league. KRS has won nine of its 48 games in the current campaign.

By the time the third period wore on, the Americans were starting to look like a hockey version of the Harlem Globetrotters. They stretched the lead again and again, peppering the American in the Chinese goal with 55 shots on the night and just generally delivering the kind of thumping that Team China might have briefly thought it was going to avoid at these Games.

It led to two questions: Is this the best the Chinese team could manage here? And, my stars, what would this bunch have looked like against Auston Matthews, Adam Fox, and Patrick Kane?

sstinson@postmedia.com