Simon Chen has become a mainstay for the Chinese National Team in recent years. Since making his debut at the 2019 World Championship D2A, Chen has gone on to score 5 (1+4) points in 29 major international games, most notably playing at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
The Beijing native has experience playing junior hockey in North America, including two seasons in the BCHL, and a total of 61 professional games with Chinese-based clubs in the KHL and VHL. This has made the 27-year-old Chen a veteran amongst a Chinese program that has taken massive strides in a short period of time. China recently competed in the inaugural IIHF Asia Championship, so I decided to ask Chen about his experience at the event, along with other questions about ice hockey in the country.
Interview
Q: How did you first begin playing ice hockey in China? Who/what was your biggest inspiration?
A: I needed to pick a sport to lose weight since I was a very chubby kid. My aunt and uncle live in Sweden and they suggested ice hockey since it’s the most popular sport in that region. I saw pictures of hockey players in their gear and thought it was the coolest looking sport in the world.
Q: You have had the honour of representing China at the 2022 Olympics and four World Championships, among other tournaments. What has been your favourite experience?
A: I think the Olympics was by far the most unforgettable experience of my life. As a Chinese hockey players, no one could’ve imagined one day we get to play in the Winter Olympics on home soil. It has been my biggest goal when I was a teenager to represent my country in the Olympics (after they announced that Beijing won the bid). Finally realizing my dream after all these years was truly amazing. However, I think my favourite experience has to be the World Championship last year. We came in the tournament with zero heritage players. As the under under dog, people expected us to get rolled over by other teams and suffer relegation. But the boys really pulled together as one and proved to the hockey world that Chinese hockey can still be competitive and successful with strictly local players.
Q: China recently had a strong showing at the Asian Championship, even beating South Korea. Can you explain the emotions after the event and the importance of playing in that tournament?
A: Obviously, it was crucial to get a win against Korea, the first time in 18 years I believe. More importantly, we proved to ourselves that we are a force to be reckoned with in Asia. We can put up a good fight against stronger teams like Kazakhstan and Japan. Our goal is to eventually become a top 2 team in Asia. This tournament is the first step into the right direction.
Q: China has a strong domestic women’s league that has some games reach thousands of fans. What is the current situation for men’s hockey?
A: The plan is to start the men’s league this December with 4 teams and 18 regular season games, plus playoffs. The league allows 5 imports for each team, but no goalies. It’s a good starting point to let the players play some competitive hockey. Hopefully in the future we can attract more teams and sponsors.
Q: Hockey appears to be rapidly growing in China with an increase in players, more rinks, and better international results. What do you believe to be the catalyst behind this and what must be done to ensure development continues?
A: We had a brand new hockey federation after the Olympics. The management really wanted to [put an emphasis] on youth hockey development, creating more game opportunities for minor hockey, and hiring proven high-level professional coaches for all the national teams. For the men’s team, the core of the team have had the experience of playing in the KHL, VHL, and other professional leagues. These experiences carried over to the national team, allowing the vets to better guide the younger players, to develop. At the end of the day, we are on a mission, and that is to make Chinese hockey competitive again.
Bonus Q: Who is the best player you have played with and the best player you have played against during your career?
With: Elias Pettersson — I assisted his goal in the 3v3 overtime during the 2018 Canucks youngster game.
Against: Alexander Nikishin — SKA (KHL)