Dawn of a new ice age

NHL, Tencent embarking on five-year plan

The cooler, the better.

That's how Tencent, China's top provider of internet, media and mobile phone value-added services, views its role in a new five-year strat-egic partnership with the National Hockey League.

The feeling is definitely mutual, as NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly emphasized the "cool quotient" at Wednesday's official signing ceremony in Beijing.

"It's a win-win. We feel fortunate and privileged to be joining with Tencent to help heighten hockey's profile in China," Daly said.

"Our partnership will be the engine that drives the game to a whole new level of interest in the greatest sports market in the world."

Supported by Tencent's multi-platform media distribution and marketing expertise, the NHL will spearhead initiatives ranging from youth clinics to coaching seminars and interactive promotions leading up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

"Hockey is the greatest winter sport in the world, so it only makes sense for us to get involved in helping raise its profile in a country that five years from now will host the greatest winter sports spectacle on the planet," said Daly.

"We are committed to growing the game at the grassroots level. In the immediate short term our goal is to establish and build a presence on the Chinese sports landscape, especially among the youth.

"That won't happen overnight, but it's not like we just started looking at China yesterday. This has been evolving for a few years now, and our partnership with Tencent is really the icing on the cake."

Daly said there is "better than a 50-50 chance" the NHL will stage two preseason exhibition games in China this fall, and confirmation could come as soon as late March, when commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to visit Beijing.

"I think the hope is certainly that we'd like to have preseason games here as part of the league's 100th anniversary celebration," said Daly.

"We have a certain scenario in mind with respect to what can be done; we just have to make sure everything is in place before we make any announcements."

As for the NHL's continued participation in the Winter Olympics, Daly said negotiations are ongoing for the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with the main hurdle being the cost of transportation and insurance.

The International Olympic Committee has covered those expenses for every Games since the NHL started participating in 1998 at Nagano, but after shelling out some $14 million for Sochi 2014, the IOC is now balking.

"We are the only professional league that shuts down to allow its players to participate in the Olympics," said Daly.

"Negotiations are ongoing, but when the IOC awarded the 2022 Games to Beijing it certainly created a much bigger opportunity than we thought potentially existed before, so the hope is that all the issues will be resolved.

"Hockey is the biggest event at every Winter Olympics, and showcasing our league and the world's most talented players at Beijing 2022 is a no-brainer."

The NHL's presence on Chinese television is another indicator of how quickly the sport is gaining a bigger stage here, and as part of the new partnership Tencent is set to ramp up its packaging of regular-season and Stanley Cup playoff games.

murraygreig@chinadaily.com.cn