Flames enjoy chance to be tourists during China Games
Bartering at street markets among new experiences for NHL visitors
Many of the Calgary Flames players got out and about in Shenzhen this week, including on Friday, when 14 of them took the train to a local street market, where they witnessed and got involved in a culture unlike any other they've seen before.
As much as the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games is about global hockey outreach and business opportunities for the NHL, for the players it's an opportunity to do things they otherwise never would have the chance to do, such as bartering for goods in a Chinese street market.
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"In the big scheme of things, how often are you going to come to China?" said Hamonic, a defenseman. "I might never come back in my life. The way the world is now, you never know. So things like that, I think you're forced to just appreciate and step back a little bit. Sometimes on this trip guys have looked at each other when we're doing something out and about and it's a pinch-me moment. Someone is like, 'Dude, we're in the middle of China right now.' It's a lifetime experience and I'm pretty grateful because you never know what's around the corner."
Hamonic said he didn't do any bartering, but he did watch intently and with amusement as many of his teammates played the game of driving down prices so they could walk away with some interesting items to bring home.
Klimchuk, a Calgary forward, said he got a purse for his mother, a belt for his sister and a vintage Steve Nash Phoenix Suns' jersey for himself. He said the initial asking price for the jersey was 300 renminbi (RMB). He paid 100, or the equivalent of about $14 in the U.S.
Other players also bought jerseys. Many got items for their significant others, knockoffs of major brands like Louis Vuitton and Armani.
"If you drive a pretty hard bargain they're pretty easy going with it," Klimchuk said. "They start pretty high, but there are a lot of options and if you know what you're doing you can get a good price on it. I got a little insight to it from people who had been before and they said really push them and they'll drop [the price] down."
Even getting to the market was an experience because the players had to navigate the train system without the ability to read the boards at the station or understand the conductors.
Klimchuk said he went to the market Monday with forwards Curtis Lazar and Garnet Hathaway, but they were lucky they found their way there (it's the last stop on the train line) and lucky they ran into a member of the Flames' traveling staff who spoke Mandarin so they could get back.
"But we went back the second day, led the crew and got there and back without issue," Klimchuk said.
Hamonic, who played for the New York Islanders for seven seasons from 2010-17, said he felt he navigated the trains here better than he ever did in New York, especially the Long Island Railroad.
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"I think it ran more smoothly getting on a train in China," he said. "It's funny, we're riding it back and Janko [center Mark Jankowski] looks over me and goes, 'We're just kind of casually cruising the train in China now.' Chalk that up to one of those things I never thought would happen."
When the players were there they ran into general manager Brad Treliving, assistant general manager Craig Conroy and coach Bill Peters, who were all there to do the same thing.
They all bartered for scarves for their wives and daughters. Of course, they were knockoffs.
"We all laughed and said all the girls will be wearing the same scarves and they'll break down by the second period of the home opener," Treliving said. "If they can make it to Christmas I'll be good."
Peters said he knew Conroy went the day before and paid 150 RMB for four scarves, so he told the salespeople that's all he would pay. He got four for 150.
"The best experience I've had [in China]," Peters said.
Treliving was laughing as he recounted what it was like to barter with the salespeople.
"I want to bring a couple of them into contract negotiations to help us next time we have to do somebody's contract," he said. "They don't let you out. They don't let you out.
"We're there talking and we say, 'No, we need a blue scarf.' And then, voom, she disappears and she's through the roof, and down come like 15 blue scarves flying down. Another guy popped out of another thing like Santa with two bags of stuff. He opened 'em up, looked around and goes, 'This is the good stuff.' They were flying through the roof. It was awesome."
Treliving said he plans to go to another market in Beijing on Tuesday. The Flames also have a team trip to visit the Great Wall of China planned for Monday. Hamonic said he's interested in visiting the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. He also wants to go to another street market.
"We've got to get our work done, No. 1, but once we get our work done I think it's important in the big picture to experience the moments," Treliving said. "I'm probably never coming back. I don't know, maybe at some point. Whether you come back or not, I think it's important to experience the moments. It sounds like a motherhood statement, but there's very few times you get the opportunity to do something so unique as seeing a part of the world that you may never see again so we've really encouraged our guys to get out there. Go see the things you maybe have never seen before or never will again."
