LA Kings and NHL Partner With ORG Packaging to Launch Historic Beijing Jr. Kings Youth Hockey Program
19 September 2018 - 5:02AM
Business Wire
Beijing Jr. Kings is the First Youth
Development Program Established by an NHL Club in China
Today the Los Angeles Kings and the NHL are strengthening their
presence in China and expanding their relationship with ORG
Packaging, a packaging and containers company based in Beijing,
with the launch of Beijing Jr. Kings. The agreement, brokered by
AEG Global Partnerships, makes the Beijing Jr. Kings the first-ever
youth hockey development program created (jointly created with ORG
Packaging), owned and operated by the LA Kings outside Los Angeles
and the first-ever development initiative for any NHL team in
China. The program will be housed at the new Beijing A.Z. Ice
Sports Club and former Kings forward Todd Elik serves as head
coach.
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Members of the Los Angeles Kings hockey
club visited The Great Wall of China in September 2017 as part of
the team’s week-long trip to Beijing and Shanghai to played two NHL
exhibition games against the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo courtesy of
LA Kings)
One year ago, the Kings and Vancouver Canucks played the first
NHL games in China. Facing off for two preseason games, presented
by ORG Packaging, in China – one at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai
(September 21, 2017) and one at Wukesong Arena in Beijing
(September 23, 2017) – the Kings won both games and history was
made. In conjunction with the 2018 China games, the Kings, the NHL
and ORG Packaging will continue to build an infrastructure and a
presence for hockey in the world’s most populous country through
this strategic investment in China’s youth with the Beijing Jr.
Kings development program.
“Coming off the success of our trip to China last year, and the
numerous clinics and camps we have hosted in China over the years,
this is a tremendous announcement for the LA Kings and we are very
pleased to not only continue our relationship with ORG but to also
expand our relationship with ORG in a very meaningful way,” said
Kings President and Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille.
“The goal of the Beijing Jr. Kings is to continue to grow the
game of hockey in China at a grass-roots level, and to continue to
build the LA Kings in China. We are also thrilled that Todd and his
family have moved overseas and are playing an integral role as we
create this new, historic opportunity.”
Elik is a former NHL player with 24 years of professional hockey
experience – eight years as a forward in the NHL (including two
seasons with the Kings from 1989-91 where he scored as many as 21
goals in a season).
He has more than 10 years of coaching experience working with a
range of ages and skill levels both in Canada and Switzerland. His
experience over the years is as follows: Assistant Coach Regina
Capitals Junior B; Head Coach HC St. Imier 1st League Switzerland;
Head Coach HC St. Imier Junior Team; Assistant Coach Regina Bantam
AA Blues; Head Coach Regina Pee Wee Avalanche; and Assistant Coach
University of Regina Men’s Hockey Team.
Serving as the Beijing Jr. Kings goalie coach is Mitch O’Keefe.
O’Keefe has spent the last year and a half coaching and evaluating
youth hockey for the Black Armour Hockey Program in Beijing where
he was Assistant Coach as well as Head Goalie Coach. In addition,
O’Keefe brings to the new program his extensive pro hockey
experience in Switzerland, Italy, France and Canada along with a
well-rounded and diverse set of coaching skills, which include
power skating, goaltending, game analysis, and coaching with
positivity.
The Kings will support the Beijing Jr. Kings by sending Kings
players – current and alumni – to China each year to help teach
kids the basics of hockey and to help generate excitement and
awareness about the sport on the whole. The Kings will also be
heavily involved by: Hosting Coaches Training Programs, Player
Exchange Programs, Youth Hockey Clinic, Official LA Kings Prospect
Camp, Prospect Development Camp, Tryout Opportunities, Player
Development Support and International Tournament Development
Opportunities.
Registration for the Beijing Jr. Kings has begun. The program is
initially expected to have two-to-three teams. The age range for
Beijing Jr. Kings participants at this time is eight-to-10 years
old.
Said Beijing A.Z. Ice Sport Club General Manager Yijun Huang:
“ORG AZ Rink is very proud to partner with the LA Kings to launch
the Jr. Kings program at our rink in Beijing. We are dedicated to
establishing a standardized, durable and sustainable youth hockey
training system, and we are committed to growing the sport of
hockey among the youth in China. We believe the Jr. Kings program
will serve as a perfect platform for that mission.”
In recent years, the Kings have traveled to China the past three
summers and have worked with youth hockey officials, coaches and
kids to help grow the game in a country that has had limited
exposure to ice hockey. The Kings Hockey Development department has
spearheaded these initiatives in conjunction with the Kings Alumni
Association. Also, in recent years, kids from China have traveled
to Los Angeles to participate in the annual Kings Youth Hockey Camp
in El Segundo, CA. The kids from China also participated in
scrimmages here against members of the Jr. Kings program.
When the Kings went to China last year, the hockey club placed a
heavy emphasis on current players interacting with kids and young
hockey players in particular, including several on-ice clinics,
player appearances and meet-and-greets. The Kings also during the
2017-18 NHL regular season hosted the club’s first Chinese Heritage
Night at STAPLES Center and the Kings will host their second annual
Chinese Heritage Night in February.
To view a special book the Kings created to commemorate last
year’s historic trip to China, click here:
https://publogix.com/e/1718-lakiyb/pubData/mobile/index.htm
The NHL remains active in China with the Beijing Jr. Kings
taking part in a variety of promotional events. Elik earlier this
month represented the Beijing Jr. Kings for “Stanley Cup Day in
Beijing” as the Stanley Cup was on-site for various hockey groups –
including skaters, youth players and kids completely new to hockey
– to have the opportunity to view the most famous trophy in
sports.
Elik is also scheduled to be a featured participant at an NHL
Coaching Clinic on September 17 on behalf of the Beijing Jr. Kings.
The event ties-in to the NHL’s two preseason games in China this
month between the Boston Bruins and the Calgary Flames.
Follow the Kings Communications Department on
Twitter @LAKingsPR
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Kings CommunicationsSenior Director: Jeff
Moeller,310.535.4544Director: Mike Kalinowski,
310.535.4515Manager: Eddie Fischermann, 310.535.4433