The KHL returns to China.
Vladimir Putin awarded Kamila Valieva a medal of honor after her scandal over banned substances at the Beijing Olympics. EPA / AOP
A “Chinese club” has been playing in the Russian-administered ice hockey league KHL for several years.
The club, which went by the name Kunlun Red Star for a long time, changed its name to Shanghai Dragons for this season.
Now, among other things, a Russian sports website Sport24 reports that Dragons is returning to China. In March, the team is scheduled to play two KHL matches at the Shanghai Arena, which attracts 18,000 spectators.
CEO of the club To Sergei Belyh according to the club hopes that thanks to the KHL team, hockey would attract more pairs of eyes in China.
Kunlun Red Star played KHL matches in China between 2016 and 2020 before the start of the pandemic. Since then, the team has played in Moscow until it moved to St. Petersburg for this season.
A figure skater will also travel to Shanghai with the Dragons team Kamila Valieva. the president of Russia Even Vladimir Putin the popular Valieva, 19, is scheduled to perform for the crowd before the match begins.
Having suffered her doping penalty, Valieva returned to the figure skating arenas at the Russian championships held at the turn of January and February.
