IIHF meets to review Olympic eligibility of Chinese players
The International Ice Hockey Federation council held a call Friday to review the Olympic eligibility of Chinese men’s national team players, though no decisions were made about the host country’s status for the upcoming tournament in Beijing.
Officials are set to review information from the Chinese Ice Hockey Association about players on the host country’s potential player list. Another meeting is scheduled for Dec. 6.
Several players on China’s national team are North Americans who moved to play for a Chinese-owned club in the Kontinental Hockey League in an attempt to naturalize and gain Olympic eligibility. But the pandemic-forced move of KHL club Kunlun Red Star out of China and to Moscow adds a layer of uncertainty about whether players meet the eligibility standard.