Eighteen of the 25 players representing China on its men’s ice hockey team at the Beijing Olympics were born or raised in North America, and many have no Chinese ancestry or connection to the country.
Seven of the players are American, 11 are Canadian, and one is Russian, according to a report.
One of those Americans is 30-year-old defenseman Jake Chelios, the son of American hockey legend and three-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Chelios.
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In 2002, the younger Chelios watched his father represent the United States at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and now he is set to face off against his father’s team and his home nation on Feb. 10.
“I think half the family was a little confused of what was going on at first, but now they’re starting to understand how special it is,” Chelios said.
Chelios relocated to Beijing in 2019 when he was acquired by the Chinese-owned Kunlun Red Star team in the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League, which is widely recognized as the second-best hockey league in the world.
“Since we’ve been over here for three years, whatever it is, you do start to feel a closeness to China. We’ve been eating Chinese food, we’ve been living the Chinese culture, so there’s a certain closeness you start to feel with China, and you start to feel like you’re actually going to represent them, and you want to win for them,” he said.
Players such as Chelios are allowed to play for China because the International Ice Hockey Federation permits players to represent a nation after living there for two years.
The overwhelmingly foreign players of the Chinese national team all play for the Kunlun team. Despite the fact that the team recently relocated to Moscow during the pandemic, the IIHF affirmed that non-Chinese nationals were eligible to play for China.
American goaltender Jeremy Smith insisted he was never asked by the Chinese team’s officials to renounce his American citizenship, and he said he was incredibly excited to play for China.
“Of course I said yes,” said Smith, who adorned his mask with his name in Chinese. “I think it’s an honor to play in the Olympics. But to dream of playing for the host city in the Olympics, I didn’t ever think there would be a chance for me in my lifetime.”
After the National Hockey League announced NHL players would not be permitted to play in the Olympics, China’s professional athletes could stand as serious competitors against the American team, made largely of NCAA athletes.
“It’s a lot more realistic to do some damage for us,” Chelios said. “We want to challenge the teams and earn some respect for China.”
Chelios admitted it may be uncomfortable to play against the Americans, but he said he does not regret his decision to represent China.
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“I’d call it more of an experience than a grind,” he said. “Now that I’m here, I don’t want to take it for granted, and I’m very appreciative of the chance I’m given.”
