Early trek to Beijing spurred by typhoon
SHENZHEN, CHINA The Calgary Flames will beeline for Beijing immediately after Saturday’s exhibition opener against the Boston Bruins.
The initial plan was that the Flames would spend one more night in Shenzhen, the first stop for the 2018 O.R.G. China Games, but Calgary ’s staff scrambled to adjust the schedule to avoid the wrath of Super Typhoon Mangkhut.
The mega-storm is churning toward Hong Kong and neighbouring Shenzhen, threatening heavy rain and sustained winds that could reach upwards of 200 km/ h.
Beijing, located inland and about 2,000 kilometres north of Shenzhen, is safe from the super typhoon.
As Shenzhen braces for the arrival of Mangkhut, the Flames will depart with fond memories of this modern city, where they stayed just down the street from the fourth-tallest building in the world. (The Ping An Finance Centre soars 599 metres above the sidewalks below, and some of the skating stars snapped photos from the observatory on two of the top stories.)
“The hospitality has been unbelievable so far,” Flames goaltender Mike Smith said after Friday’s practice in Shenzhen. “We’re looking forward to the rest of the way.”
The Flames and Boston Bruins will wrap the 2018 O.R.G. China Games with Wednesday’s contest at Cadillac Arena in Beijing.