Talk about Minor Leagues... Sharks send 3 coaches

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=218840&hubname=nhl

The San Jose Sharks will be sending three coaches and five players to China to compete in the Asia Ice Hockey League to help develop hockey in the world's most populous nation.

The players and coaches who will spend the season playing for the China Sharks will compete against Japanese and Korean teams in the Asian league's.

''It is the first time we have got the support from the NHL and we can say that they came to support us in our most difficult period,'' Chinese Winter Sports Administrative Centre vice director Lan Li told the China Daily.

''We want to see ice hockey grow in China, to be as popular as basketball, soccer and Olympics right now,'' the paper quoted Sharks President & CEO Greg Jamison

[mickz 107]

Hockey won't skyrocket in popularity until they have the Yao Ming equivalent of hockey playing in the NHL. and then that player will be voted into all the all star games.