ASIAN ICE HOCKEY

The reigning CIHL champions, the Beijing Lions, supplied the largest group of players – eight in total. The roster also includes seven imports: four from North American lower leagues, one from the European junior circuit, and two from the ALIH.

Team China at the Asian Championship – Blending a Trusted Core With Fresh Additions

There aren’t many major changes compared with China’s recent appearances at top events on the world and Asian stage. The experienced NHL coach Perry Pearn kept the core intact. Naturally, that means Shifeng Chen remains the go-to option in net, with Yuhang Han patrolling the blue line alongside the two Zhangs – Pengfei and Jiaqi.

Olympic veteran Ruinan Yan is also back – like Pengfei Zhang and Zesen Zhang, he brings memories of his stint with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL.

Up front, China will once again lean on the team’s signature duo of Yuyang Hou and Jing Wang, now backed by fresh experience from the ALIH.

Mingju Zheng and Zesen Zhang will look to carry over their strong CIHL form.

Young Guns to Watch

As has become something of a tradition, China once again dipped into its pool of young talent and brought several intriguing prospects to the tournament.

In goal, 18-year-old Youyi Zhang from the Austrian U20 league earned the nod ahead of Boyan Tian, the current top goaltender in the CIHL.

The lineup also features a first-time appearance for 19-year-old forward Sixiong Jiang of the Beijing Lions, who was already pushing for a roster spot last year. Another debut belongs to 20-year-old Peng Sun from KRS Shenzhen.

All three newcomers will be looking to follow in the footsteps of defenseman Renhan Xu, one of the breakout stories of last year’s Division 1B World Championship, where he finished as China’s second-leading scorer. Xu is naturally back in the lineup again.

China’s Biggest CIHL Star Is Missing

On the flip side, one of the most notable omissions is Jianing Guo – another KHL veteran and currently the top Chinese scorer in the CIHL with 20 points in just six games. Guo suffered an injury during training camp, ruling him out for the tournament.

Also absent is a long-time offensive pillar, Juncheng Yan, who competes in the Canadian USports system and is unable to return due to scheduling conflicts with his college team.

Another missing name is Zimeng “Simon” Chen, a Beijing 2022 Olympian and key piece of the Beijing Lions’ championship roster, who also sustained an injury. Interestingly, he has shifted from a playing role to a team-staff position for this tournament, stepping in to support the group off the ice instead of suiting up.

📆 See the Full Tournament Schedule

Coaching Staff Gets an Intriguing Boost

Another notable move is the shift of Ty Schultz (a.k.a. Enlai Zheng) into an assistant coaching role. The grandson of legendary high jumper Zheng Fengrong is the only heritage player who chose to stay in China after the federation stopped using heritage players in 2023. Since then, he hasn’t appeared for the national team, but Perry Pearn opted to bring him behind the bench to tap into his experience.

Pearn and his lead assistant Gene Reilly are also adding another interesting name: former AHL goaltender John Muse, who spent a season within the Kunlun Red Star organization.