China Preseason Trip: Need to Know

BostonBruins.com- The Bruins' preseason will be anything but routine this fall.
The roster will be split in two as the club embarks on a 10-day trip to China for a pair of exhibition contests with the Calgary Flames. The journey across the world - which begins on Sept. 11 - will be the organization's fourth visit to China since its partnership with O.R.G. Packaging began in 2015. Full Roster.
Here's an in-depth look at the partnership and the upcoming 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games:

Headed East

The Bruins will play two exhibition games against the Flames, marking their first preseason trip outside of North America since 2010, when they visited Belfast, Northern Ireland and Prague, Czech Republic.
Sept. 15 - Bruins vs. Flames | 2:30 a.m. EST | Shenzhen, China (Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center)
Sept. 19 - Bruins vs. Flames | 7:30 a.m. EST | Beijing, China (Cadillac Arena)

That's A First

The Bruins organization has been heavily involved in growing the game of hockey in China for the past three years, after inking a five-year partnership with O.R.G. Packaging in 2015 to become the first NHL team and first North American professional sports organization to partner with O.R.G. Packaging, which is based in Beijing.
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 Black & Gold.
David Pastrnak and former Bruins forward Matt Beleskey, as well as Bruins alumni Andrew Raycroft and Bob Sweeney, conducted the clinics and were able to explore Beijing and Shanghai, where they experienced the local Chinese culture, including a visit to The Great Wall of China.

Keeping It Going

The Bruins embarked on their second official visit to China in July 2017, with Torey Krug, Pastrnak, and Tuukka Rask - along with Bruins alum Hal Gill and members of the Boston Bruins corporate partnership and youth hockey development teams - making the voyage. The trip's festivities kicked off with the grand opening of a brand new state-of-the-art hockey rink in Beijing built by O.R.G.

The third annual trip took place this past July and featured Danton Heinen, Sean Kuraly, Providence head coach Jay Leach, and Bruins alum P.J. Stock. The group visited both Beijing and Shenzhen, the sites of the upcoming preseason games against the Flames.

By The Numbers

3 - Summer trips (2016-18) that the Bruins have made to China as part of 'Bruins Global' to conduct youth hockey clinics and help grow the game
5- Bruins alumni who have visited China (Hal Gill, Jay Leach, Andrew Raycroft, P.J. Stock)

6- Bruins players who have visited China (Current: Danton Heinen, Torey Krug, Sean Kuraly, David Pastrnak, Tuukka Rask; Former: Matt Beleskey)

500+ - Chinese youth hockey players to take part in clinics hosted by the Bruins in both Boston and China
6,729 - Miles from TD Garden to Beijing

Wait, There's More