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 The San Jose Sharks and the China Sharks are looking for the proverbial Yao Ming of hockey.
The San Jose Shark’s parent company, Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), held a press conference Wednesday to announce that the China Sharks would be moving from Beijing to Shanghai. Why would China have an interest in hockey, and why would SVS&E have an interest in China? Besides an attempt to produce the first Chinese hockey super star, China is bidding to host the Winter Olympics. That has made China jump into hockey player development. As for SVS&E’s interest, Silicon Valley companies are looking to make inroads into China. As reported by the San Jose Mercury News: The China-Sharks partnership may seem quixotic, but SVS&E officials point out that not long ago few people could have imagined basketball becoming a huge international sport. Greg Jamison, SVS&E chief executive, pointed out that Shanghai is a "non-traditional market" — but the same was said about San Jose before the Sharks became a success. China's ambition to host the Winter Olympics in 2022 is a prime reason for its eagerness to build a national hockey program capable of competing on the international level, said Charlie Faas, SVS&E chief financial officer and president of the China Sharks.
The NHL isn’t the only league looking to break into China after the success of Yao Ming. MLB has made several trips to China and has had the Chinese National team to America during the Arizona Fall League.
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