Led by Krug, Pastrnak and Rask, the B's organization will embark on a 14-hour trip across the world hosting several youth hockey on-ice clinics in both Beijing and Shanghai throughout the course of their 10-day visit. The clinics, which will involve over 200 Chinese youth hockey players, will include dry-land workouts where Bruins' players and staff will lead youth hockey players through hockey-specific exercises and agility training aimed at improving on-ice performance. In addition to on and off ice training, Krug, Pastrnak and Rask will lead educational video sessions and breakdown various hockey strategies and techniques to Chinese players and coaches. The Bruins will also fully immerse themselves into China's rich culture and will partake in sightseeing at the Great Wall of China, Silk Market, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and much more.
In 2015, the Bruins became the first NHL team and first North American professional sports organization to partner with O.R.G. Packaging which is based in Beijing, China. In early 2016, the Bruins hosted O.R.G. Packaging Night at TD Garden where the B's hosted nearly 30 Chinese Youth Hockey Players from the Beijing Hockey Association. Those players participated in numerous activities during O.R.G. Packaging Night including Future Bruins, Three Minutes of Fame and the pregame high-five line where they had the opportunity to fist bump the B's players before they took the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Later in July of 2016, the Bruins organization embarked on its first-ever official visit to China, where over 200 Chinese children attended the various clinics hosted by the Bruins and current players Matt Beleskey and David Pastrnak as well as Bruins alumni Andrew Raycroft and Bob Sweeney. In addition to hosting the youth hockey clinics, the Bruins players were able to explore Beijing and Shanghai, where they experienced the local Chinese culture. Beleskey and Pastrnak were each treated to custom made Chinese suits which they wore during the trip, that Pastrnak and Beleskey later wore to the Bruins first-ever Chinese Cultural Night hosted at TD Garden in Boston on February 12, 2017. Chinese Cultural Night coincided with a new group of Chinese youth players who visited Boston and included a ceremonial puck drop by O.R.G. Packaging Chairman Mr. Zhou Yunjie and the Chinese youth players. Other highlights of Chinese Cultural Night included sampling of Want Want Milk, a Chinese drink, and Chinese "Go Bruins" signs that were given to fans throughout the game. While Mr. Zhou Yunjie was in town for Chinese cultural night, he and Pastrnak engaged the local Boston Chinese community and visited the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, where the pair helped children with arts and crafts, and gave out gift bags and tickets and to Bruins' Chinese Cultural Night game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Since the partersnhip with O.R.G was consummated, the Bruins have hosted over 100 Chinese youth hockey players from 2015 to 2017. Throughout their visits, the Chinese youth hockey players participated in clinics led by the Bruins Youth Hockey Development Team, played games against local New England youth hockey teams, explored the city of Boston and watched Bruins hockey games at TD Garden. The Bruins will continue to host a different group of Chinese youth hockey players in Boston each year, as part of their five-year partnership with O.R.G. Packaging. By the conclusion of the Bruins' 2017 trip, over 450 Chinese youth hockey players will have participated in the various clinics held by the team.
Last year's trip to China was featured in the Bruins television show, Behind the B, which airs locally on NESN. The episode, which chronicled the organization's trip, won the 2017 New England Emmy Award for Best Sports Series. The episode can be watched here:
https://www.nhl.com/bruins/video/behind-the-b-season-4-ep-1/t-277463846/c-44882103
Fans can follow along with the Bruins journey to China on BostonBruins.com.
