HC Red Star Kunlun 2016/17 Thread

[Teastick]

I'm from Beijing and I will bring my kids to a lot of home games for sure.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

They dont like swedish players?

There may be other reasons, but Yurzinov is a notorious admirer of Finnish hockey

 

[Atas2000]

There may be other reasons, but Yurzinov is a notorious admirer of Finnish hockey

I gess as a former coach of 4 finnish teams he speaks a good chunk of Fnnish too. It's less that he's an admirer. Finns are obviously more comfortable with him as a coach and much easier entertained by the idea of a chinese "adventure".

 

[Go Donbass]

Schedule came out today of course, and I was just looking it over. Kunlun don't play their first game until September 1st and then still have some breaks before games 2 and 3. At the rate they are scheduled to play their games, they won't be done their regular season schedule until June

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

I gess as a former coach of 4 finnish teams he speaks a good chunk of Fnnish too. It's less that he's an admirer. Finns are obviously more comfortable with him as a coach and much easier entertained by the idea of a chinese "adventure".

Well, I doubt he hates them if he worked there all those years

 

[alko]

Schedule came out today of course, and I was just looking it over. Kunlun don't play their first game until September 1st and then still have some breaks before games 2 and 3. At the rate they are scheduled to play their games, they won't be done their regular season schedule until June

They are waiting, if this hokus-pokus in China will survive this summer.

 

[Milos Krasic]

Zach Yuen has signed with Red Star.

Vancouver-born, 4th round pick of Winnipeg in 2011. Played in the ECHL last season. Counts as a Chinese player.

 

[JoeCool16]

Zach Yuen has signed with Red Star.

Vancouver-born, 4th round pick of Winnipeg in 2011. Played in the ECHL last season. Counts as a Chinese player.

Eliteprospects says he's signed through 17/18, so I bet they'll be trying to make him the face of this franchise to the Chinese audiences. Interestingly, his family comes from Hong Kong, so he might not even speak Mandarin. As far as hockey goes though, he's probably going to be the best Chinese player on the team. I wonder what happened to him. He seemed like a solid prospect at one point, and now he's just a decent ECHLer.

 

[AIREAYE]

So Rudi Ying is 17 on a tryout right now, played for the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots last year in the OJHL (JR A). No way he turns pro at only 17 is there? Being Chinese myself in Canada, I can't imagine his parents would like him to stall his education haha

 

[JA]

Eliteprospects says he's signed through 17/18, so I bet they'll be trying to make him the face of this franchise to the Chinese audiences. Interestingly, his family comes from Hong Kong, so he might not even speak Mandarin. As far as hockey goes though, he's probably going to be the best Chinese player on the team. I wonder what happened to him. He seemed like a solid prospect at one point, and now he's just a decent ECHLer.

There is a major rift between the Mainland and Hong Kong populations -- they don't like each other. Those of Western cultural origin are also looked down upon in China, especially if they do not speak Chinese. Such individuals are surrounded by a sense of disdain, and are viewed almost as if they were Caucasian and not Chinese. If Zach isn't fluent in Mandarin, he will be almost impossible to market. Considering he grew up in Vancouver and comes from a Cantonese household, he has a steep climb to be considered the face of Red Star. He would have a lot of Chinese-Canadian fans, but onlookers in China won't gravitate towards him as they would with their homegrown players. If he and the team find success, it might convince more Chinese-Canadian parents to enroll their kids in the sport. I say "might" because of the sheer pressure that most Chinese parents put on their kids to succeed academically. I don't think this will change the minds of conservative, traditional Chinese parents. Red Star might be enough to push millennials of Chinese descent to enroll their kids; now there is another somewhat attractive alternative for Chinese players who can't make the NHL.

Hockey costs money and time for parents; money going into hockey could, in their minds, go into academics and funding of the arts. The Chinese parents in Canada who enroll their kids are themselves Westernized for the most part. I think the children of the 1990s wave of Chinese immigrants to Canada are far more likely to be enrolled in hockey. Expect that to begin about ten years from now; most youth-aged immigrants in the 1990s are now in their mid-to-late 20s, so there is the potential for a Chinese-Canadian enrollment boom soon. If the KHL team continues to exist, then it will simply support the notion that high-level hockey is a legitimate avenue for Chinese players. Those players that can't make the NHL would probably prefer to play in Beijing over other options simply for the fact that they might not feel as welcomed elsewhere in the world, especially in places with small Chinese populations. One thing that doesn't change is the sense of community that Chinese people have with each other. People of Chinese descent around the globe, meanwhile, now have a team that they can feel attached to on the basis of ethnic and national pride. Red Star will have an international fanbase if it succeeds.

Zach, though, is not so different in the eyes of the local audience from any of Red Star's non-Chinese players. He will be seen as more Chinese than the others, but not as authentically Chinese. There is still the reality of discrimination in China, especially with regards to place of origin; for example, the mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are all distinct places whose populations dislike one another. Local audiences would be quick to favor a homegrown player over one that was raised abroad if the talent level was close.

Here's a relevant article from the South China Morning Post: http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1912384/people-mainland-china-hong-kong-and-taiwan-should-realise

People in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan should realise they do not own the sole right to Chinese identity
Danny Chan says the idea that nationality is a singular culture is outdated and no longer applies in today’s diverse and interconnected world
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 14 February, 2016, 8:30am
UPDATED : Sunday, 14 February, 2016, 8:30am

There are usually no winners in controversies about nationality, especially those that seek to impose one view over another. This is exactly what happened in the recent row over Taiwanese teen pop star Chou Tzu-yu – who was forced to apologise after waving the island’s flag on a South Korean TV show – and many other disputes about “Chineseness” in Hong Kong, Taiwan and on the mainland.

We often imagine a nation and its culture as a totality, with a single language or homogenous culture. Yet this is a fantasy; in reality, such thinking only engenders stereotypes and bias that widen the divide between people. Nationality can never be defined once and for all; the notion is subject to constant change and reform, and clinging to the past can never stop this.

There are many problems associated with old-school nationalism, including an unrelenting pursuit of an origin that is not found in daily life. Thus, to validate it, the only choice is to turn one’s back on the present and probe deeper into a past that not many find relevant.

Take contemporary Chinese immigration history as an example. It is a historical fact that war, famine and exploitation displaced a majority and forced them to head abroad to survive. This is what lies beneath the notion of the Chinese diaspora, which is now used to justify a centralising national totality.

If those at the centre are considered politically correct or culturally purified, and those at the margins are defective or impure, this root-searching mentality is just rubbing salt into old wounds.

Chineseness should always be plural, as long as each community is considered equal. It is not hard to find lots of Chinese communities around Southeast Asia speaking a language or living a lifestyle that is highly recognisable yet different from ours in Hong Kong. Judging which is more Chinese is not only unnecessary, it also ignores the fact that an identity is not something that can be easily pinned down.

While it is increasingly popular to search for one’s roots in Hong Kong, this needs careful examination. We complain about how our ways of life have been marginalised, what about the ethnic minorities among us? If we think learning about their culture is unnecessary, this root-searching mentality will not make our community more diverse or free.

Perhaps this mentality only serves to prolong rivalries for political use; a sad way to reconfirm the significance of our community. If so, then we are no different from those making a fuss about Chu’s flag-waving. Roots should never be mutually exclusive.

There is no question that those raised abroad aren't given the same respect as those who were raised in the motherland. That said, he is probably better on the ice than all of the domestic Chinese players and can earn respect if he becomes an undeniable star player for his team. He is a defensive defenceman, though, so his chances of gaining popularity for his on-ice play are low. Audiences aren't generally hooked in to the sport by that type of player.

I think this will be an adventure for him and his family -- something a little bit different from what he's used to over in North America. The KHL is an upgrade from the ECHL, and it's an opportunity that he definitely should take. Of course, there will be pros and cons to his stay in Beijing.

If anything, it will be an experience. Having a KHL team in China definitely helps the development of Chinese hockey players globally.

 

[AIREAYE]

Wow what an absolutely fantastic, well reasoned and written post! You nailed it.

 

[JoeCool16]

Very interesting read, JetsAlternate. From living in Vancouver I've learned that my friends that are from Hong Kong or are children of parents/grandparents from they seem to look down on Mainlanders, but I was not aware the feeling was mutual... or that the rift was so major, as you put it.

There must be a reason that they plucked Zach Yuen from the ECHL, though. With 27 ECHL teams, there should be upwards of 160 defensemen playing regularly in the league at around Yuen's level. They likely could find a good number of players better than Yuen interested, yet they chose him. Surely they think that he has a better chance of attracting audiences than a white Canadian, or Russians/Finnish players?

 

[Finnpin]

Chad Rau (USA) and Miika Lahti (FIN) are new players.

Jursinov is searching players from E.P. ....I really hope they have a real scouting help too
He also said likes to get players who can perform in pressure because the season might be difficult.

Some training pics from Finland

http://www.ts.fi/urheilu/2725213/Kiinan+Red+Star+Kunlun+tekee+KHLhistoriaa

Zachary (Zach) Yuen has 2 year deal with the club

 

[S E P H]

Awesome news about Yuen, going through his history, all he played for was Canada Pacific in a non sanctioned IIHF WHC tournament. I wonder if China wants him for two seasons so he would be eligible to play for them in the IIHF Divisional Tournaments.

 

[TomB]

Awesome news about Yuen, going through his history, all he played for was Canada Pacific in a non sanctioned IIHF WHC tournament. I wonder if China wants him for two seasons so he would be eligible to play for them in the IIHF Divisional Tournaments.

More likely that it would be for the 2022 Olympics.

 

[Urbanskog]

More likely that it would be for the 2022 Olympics.

I don't see why wouldn't they want him to represent them in the World Championship as well.

 

[IamherefortheFinn]

From the TS story:

Vancouverissa syntynyt Zach Yuen, 23, saa olla jo varma KHL-sopimuksestaan. Hän on yksi kiinalaispelaajista, joita tuore KHL-seura Red Star Kunlun tarvitsee sääntöjen mukaan vähintään viisi.

"Vancouver born Zach Yuen, 23, can be certain of his KHL -contract. He is one of the Chinese players that the new KHL -club Red Star Kunlun needs at least five of according the rules."

So i guess we'll see some other Chinese players/players with Chinese heritage/roots too in the playing roster.

 

[vorky]

From the TS story:



"Vancouver born Zach Yuen, 23, can be certain of his KHL -contract. He is one of the Chinese players that the new KHL -club Red Star Kunlun needs at least five of according the rules."

So i guess we'll see some other Chinese players/players with Chinese heritage/roots too in the playing roster.

If nothing changed, you need to have 5 native players on season roster, you dont have to skate them in real games. But I think some of chinese guys will get a chance. Before camp started it was announced that 3rd goalie will be chinese.

 

[hansomreiste]

I thought Russian players were count as "native" for every country, isn't it the case? Moreover, I have a bad feeling that Kunlun will fail miserably in first year. The fact that they asked for more time to adapt doesn't speak for good either.

 

[Killion]

I thought Russian players were count as "native" for every country, isn't it the case? Moreover, I have a bad feeling that Kunlun will fail miserably in first year. The fact that they asked for more time to adapt doesn't speak for good either.

... maybe if what you suspect does happen, the KHL will parachute in some players to help them out. The Chicago Blackhawks in the late 40's early 50's were in really bad shape so
the other 5 clubs in the NHL sent them useful players. It wouldnt do for the KHL to have a team getting hammered every game. Especially one in a new/emerging market like that.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Well seeing the players they have already they can't fail too bad. Compared to what Riga has this roster looks golden.

 

[VP]

I don't know much about khl so I was thinking about this red stars roster issue. If you compare the roster to other teams that are not so good is it so bad?

 

[alko]

Is there an option, when some player from Finland, Sweden, Czech, Canada ... will play there for 2 years and before that he never played for his country, could play for China?

 

[SoundAndFury]

I don't know much about khl so I was thinking about this red stars roster issue. If you compare the roster to other teams that are not so good is it so bad?

The players they have are really good/solid. Problem is the players they don't have.

 

[VP]

It has been slower than I thought but I think there will be some good players still coming. I doubt chinese players don't play in the regular season. I think they need first line players , maybe they have other lines worked out. Hopefully there won't be lot of injuries, they can't handle that and then the chinese players will get their chances.