"I am definitely going now," Neely said. "It should be exciting."
The Bruins and Calgary Flames will participate in the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games, it was announced Wednesday. They will play two preseason games, at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen on Sept. 15 and at Cadillac Arena in Beijing on Sept. 19.
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They will be the third and fourth preseason games the NHL will play in China. The Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks played games in Shanghai and Beijing prior to this season.
"It's just building off the current relationship we have with O.R.G. and Mr. Zhou Yunjie (chairman of O.R.G. Packaging) and helping grow the game not only in China, but also we've got a big Chinatown here in Boston," Neely said Wednesday before the Bruins hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round. "So, far us it's really about starting grass-roots programs in China but also in Chinatown."
Boston forward David Pastrnak, New York Rangers forward Matt Beleskey (then of the Bruins) and Boston alumni Andrew Raycroft and Bob Sweeney went to Beijing and Shanghai to host hockey clinics in July of 2016.
The Bruins returned to China in July of 2017, sending goalie Tuukka Rask, defenseman Torey Krug, former defenseman Hal Gill and members of Boston's corporate sponsorship and youth hockey development teams.
The whole team gets to go now, which Neely said should create the opportunity of a lifetime for the Bruins, who are also playing in the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic against the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on Jan. 1.
"You're looking at going to China and then we have the Winter Classic … for me it's the life experiences," said Neely, a Hall of Fame forward who played 10 of his 13 NHL seasons for Boston. "You're going to be with your teammates. Guys will still be looking to compete for opportunities, so there's that part of it, but just to be able to experience a different culture that's just picking up the game of hockey really not that long ago and be a part of it is pretty impressive and pretty special."
