Front Office Sports: To Grow Hockey In China, Kings Take A Page Out Of SoCal Playbook

Since retiring from the NHL in 2010 after a 17-year playing career, Derek Armstrong has dedicated much of his time to coaching youth hockey.

Working with children in his home country of Canada, he often stresses having fun to ensure that they fall in love with the sport and become lifelong hockey fans, regardless if they become the next Sidney Crosby or Jack Hughes.

Armstrong has been taking that same approach in teaching hockey to children in what many across the NHL feel is the league’s biggest market for growth: China.

“It’s not much different than coaching hockey in Canada – the kids are all hard workers, and they can all skate – which is obviously important,” said Armstrong.

Armstrong has traveled to China six times to help coach hockey as part of the Los Angeles Kings’ efforts in the country – Armstrong spent six seasons with the Kings during his NHL career.

Last year, the Kings launched the first-ever hockey development initiative for any NHL team in China with the Beijing Jr. Kings, a program for kids aged eight-to-10 years old. It was also the Kings’ first hockey development program owned and operated outside of Los Angeles. In 2017, the Kings played the Vancouver Canucks in the first NHL games in China.

This August, the Kings held the first Beijing Jr. Kings Camp, a five-day camp that saw the team host 30 children aged six through 14 that featured both on- and off-ice training and games led by Kings’ alumni and coaches.

The team’s efforts in China have been bolstered by its partnership with Beijing-based ORG Packaging, which has quickly become one of the biggest boosters of ice hockey in the country while looking to copy a bit of what has made the Kings successful in their home state – a place that many once felt ice hockey could or would not work.

“The Kings are very unique – it’s Southern California, it’s warm and sunny; many call it a ‘non-traditional hockey market’,” said Richard Zhang, the president of Ocean 24 Sports and Entertainment Corporation, a sports marketing agency that works with ORG in regards to its hockey relationships.“But to grow the game and find success in a non-traditional market you have to be creative, and that’s what the Kings have done and that is what we want to do in China – attract new fans and grow the sport.”

In addition to its partnership with the Kings, ORG Packaging also has team level deals with the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals. It also has a league-level deal with the NHL, heavily supporting the league’s efforts to grow the sport in China as well.

Josh Veilleux, senior vice president of corporate partnerships for AEG Global Partnerships, said that while the company is technically considered a sponsor, that he views the relationship as “more about doing something different and something that can have a big impact.”

“Our overarching desire is to grow the game of hockey – that’s what we have tried to do across the board here in Los Angeles and California,” Veilleux said. “With ORG, they want to grow the game in complete partnership with our efforts.”

Growing up in a hockey family who lived just outside of Boston, Veilleux compared to where China is now in terms of exposure to ice hockey as not far off from where Southern California had been in the past.

“I remember when I moved here 13 years ago, coming from a place where every town had a rink to here where there weren’t varsity hockey programs,” he said. “It changes your mindset in terms of having to grow the game in a different way when you’re competing with a lot of different things – it’s a similar mindset that we’re trying to have as it relates to China.”

Those involved all admit that hockey does have a lot of room to grow in China, where the NBA is by far the most popular sport. The NBA estimated that of the more than 1.3 billion people who live in China, 640 million of them watched some sort of NBA programming during the 2017-2018 season, and more than 300 million play the sport.

While it’s unclear how much traction the sport of ice hockey has gained in recent years, efforts are continuing. The league first brought two exhibition games to the country in 2017, repeating that in 2018, and it has a deal with the NHLPA to host games in the country in six of eight years. The NHL has broadcasting and streaming deals with CCTV and Tencent. 

This year, while efforts to play exhibition games ahead of the 2019-2020 season were postponed due to scheduling conflicts that arose with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the NHL and the Washington Capitals worked together to send Alex Ovechkin to the country as a league ambassador.

With the NHL’s efforts to grow in China, there is a brand-building benefit for the Kings to be this deeply involved in the country as well.

“The more we can do to get our brand to become more than just domestic and nationally known and ultimately become international, we see that as a whole new way of fandom starting,” Veilleux said.

Still, he noted, the Kings are not losing sight of the ultimate reason for this effort.

“It’s all about the growth of the Beijing Jr. Kings, and getting that group from 40 to 100 to 500 over the next few years,” Veilleux said. “We know everything we’re doing might be baby steps, but from our long-term viewpoint it’s all about constant growth and progress.”

The Kings are looking to further bolster the Beijing Jr. Kings effort, which has three coaches stationed in the country year-round. Veilleux said the team will be creating more content this season specifically for the Chinese-language audience and is planning on bringing more Chinese players to Los Angeles to experience hockey in the U.S. The team also hosts a Chinese heritage night at a home Kings game at the Staples Center, which includes a large fan festival in LA Live celebrating Chinese culture.

Zhang said ORG is still working with the teams and the league to build a “base, a foundation” for the sport in China.

“For hockey to grow, people need to learn and they need to understand it first – that will come through camps like this and when they can experience NHL games,” Zhang said.

That will come through deeper activation with ORG’s team partners, potentially bringing more players and coaches over to help grow the game in China on a year-round basis, as well as developing grassroots promotions in schools and residential areas.

From Armstrong’s point of view, he sees the same opportunity for the sport.

“You can’t go over for one week and expect things to change – we need to be pushing the game, and pushing the growth of it,” Armstrong said. “Once you play the sport of hockey, you tend to fall in love with it, so we just need to find the kids who want to play.”

O.R.G. Bruins Global: China 2016

The Boston Bruins, in partnership with Ocean 24 Sports & Entertainment and  O.R.G. Packaging, will make the team's first-ever official visit to China when they tour Beijing and Shanghai during "Bruins Global: China 2016" from July 11-23. Current Bruins players Matt Beleskey and David Pastrnak along with Bruins Alumni Andrew Raycroft, Bob Sweeney and members of the Boston Bruins Youth Hockey Development Team will host several youth hockey clinics in Beijing and Shanghai. The clinics will consist of on and off-ice training for over 150 Chinese youth hockey players. O.R.G. will host a Bruins partnership signing ceremony in Beijing, as well as a round table media event to discuss growing the sport of hockey in China with Chinese officials, state media and industry insiders. Some other highlights of the Bruins first-ever visit to China will include sightseeing at The Forbidden City, Prince Gong’s Mansion, Summer Palace, Great Wall of China, The Bund, Huanpu River and Canal Town.

 

“The Boston Bruins have always been passionate about growing the game and sharing our team’s rich history and tradition with fans all over the world,” said Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “With the appetite for hockey rising on the global scale, we are thrilled to be partners with O.R.G Packaging and are excited for the opportunity to work together with Mr. Zhou’s team to cultivate the sport in China.”

 

O.R.G. Packaging Chairman Zhou Yunjie added, "O.R.G. Packaging and the Boston Bruins are building a bridge between Chinese and American hockey. We are excited and honored to build on this partnership, and eagerly look forward to doing more in the near future to grow the sport of hockey in China."

 

Ocean 24 Sports & Entertainment’s client O.R.G. Packaging is the first Chinese company to have a partnership with the Boston Bruins and the National Hockey League (NHL). The goal of the partnership is to grow the sport of hockey in China, strengthen the connection between the Bruins and the local Chinese community in New England, as well as educate North American residents about the growth of hockey in China.

 

In February 2016, the Bruins hosted 22 Chinese youth hockey players from the China. The youth hockey players participated in clinics with the Bruins Youth Hockey Development team and Bruins Alumni and got to experience the city of Boston. The group also had the opportunity to compete in 10 games against local New England youth hockey teams. The Bruins will host a different group of Chinese youth hockey players in Boston each year, as part of their five-year contract with O.R.G. Packaging.

Ocean 24 SE and client ORG Packaging met with Monumental Sports to Discuss Potential Partnership Opportunities

Ocean 24 Sports & Entertainment and its client ORG Packaging met with Mr. Ted Leonsis, founder, majority owner, Chairman and CEO and several other senior executives of Monumental Sport & Entertainment, to discuss potential praetorship opportunities.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment owns the NHL's Washington Capitals, the NBA's Washington Wizards, the WNBA's Mystics and Verizon Center in Washington DC. 

Ocean 24 SE Client O.R.G. Announce Expanded Partnership with Boston Bruins; Hosted First Chinese Culture Themed Game Night at TD Garden

Ocean 24 SE’s client O.R.G. Packaging announced they have expanded their partnership with the Boston Bruins. Ocean 24 SE and O.R.G. joined the Bruins and hosted the first Chinese culture themed game night on Tuesday, February 2 during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden. 

O.R.G. is the first ever Chinese partner of the Boston Bruins and the National Hockey League. O.R.G. Packaging Chairman Zhou Yunjie, Bruins President, NHL Hall of Famer Cam Neely, Bruins and TD Garden Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing Glen Thornborough and Ocean 24 SE President attended the press conference at TD Garden on February 2 before the game started. The new expanded partnership is highlighted by a summer visit to China with current Bruins players, executives and front office staff.

“Finding innovative ways to grow the game of hockey is always a priority of the Bruins organization,” said Neely. “The synergy between the Bruins and O.R.G. Packaging will positively impact the growth of the game in the local Chinese community while showcasing the passion for hockey that exists in Asia.”

"O.R.G. Packaging is very excited about becoming the first ever Chinese partner of the Boston Bruins and the NHL,” said O.R.G. Packaging Chairman Zhou Yunjie. “We will serve as a bridge between China and the US, to better promote cultural and sports exchanges through ice hockey.”

Ocean 24 SE’s client O.R.G. Packaging will work with the Bruins in numerous ways to help grow the sport of hockey in China as well as educate North American residents about the growth of hockey in China. This summer, the Bruins and O.R.G. Packaging expect to send current Bruins players, executives and front office staff to China to host youth hockey camps, clinics and workshops to help grow the game of hockey.

As part of the partnership the Bruins hosted a 10 day official clinic with 22 Chinese youth hockey players sent by O.R.G. and Ocean 24 SE from China. Over the 10 days the youth hockey players have participated in clinics with the Bruins Youth Hockey Development team and Bruins Alumni Andrew Raycroft and Rick Middleton. The Chinese players participated in 10 games against local New England youth hockey teams. The group also participated in numerous activities during O.R.G. Bruins Chinese Culture Game Night including the Future Bruins, Three Minutes of Fame, high fiving Bruins players before they take the ice and meeting with Bruins Alumni and current Bruins players.

Massachusetts State Representatives, Boston city officials as well as major Chinese and American media also attended the event and sent congratulatory letters to Ocean 24 SE and O.R.G.

 

2016年2月2日,在波士顿历史悠久的体育殿堂TD Garden球场,由美国海洋贰拾肆体育娱乐(Ocean 24 Sports & Entertainment)客户奥瑞金包装股份有限公司主办的“奥瑞金中华之夜”隆重开幕。奥瑞金与Ocean 24 SE合作,首次将中华文化和2022年冬奥会带到NHL(国家冰球联盟)赛场,让更多人感受底蕴深厚的中华文化和中国体育事业的蓬勃发展。

当晚在波士顿棕熊队与加拿大枫叶队比赛入场处,迎接观众的是具有中国文化气息的京剧人物。体育场内也设有剪窗花、写春联等展示中华文化的展台,还有关于2022年北京冬奥会的展板。现场的猴年形象广告版,鲜艳的中国元素与欢庆的气氛将整个球场渲染成了中国年味十足的红色海洋。当天下午4时,奥瑞金与棕熊队的签约仪式拉开了中国企业与北美冰球文化首次合作的序幕。当晚棕熊队和加拿大枫叶队的比赛结束后,棕熊队传奇球星Cam Neely特意来到现场,鼓励来到现场的20多位中国青少年冰球选手坚持冰球梦。

比赛开始前,Ocean 24 SE和客户奥瑞金公司收到了来自波士顿市长以及马萨诸塞州议会的贺信。 市长称赞Ocean24此次活动既向美国球迷和波士顿的市民传播了中华文化,也帮助当地华人更多的参与到美国体育文化里。

Ocean 24 SE能够见证中国公司与美国冰球联盟的球队的首次合作并参与其中感到骄傲。 Ocean 24 SE负责人表示能够成为连接中美冰球体育文化的桥梁是一名体育人的骄傲。Ocean 24 体育娱乐将会更加热情的致力于促进中美体育运动交流。