In Richmond, south of Vancouver, there’s one of the most beautiful sporting venues you’ll ever see. Perched on the edge of the Fraser River is the Richmond Olympic Oval with its spectacularly arching rooftop, built for the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the Games it played host to speed skating, but has since been converted into a multi-purpose sports and event venue.
The building, which features pine beetle damaged wood for its roofing, stretches 2.6 hectares, and now houses two ice hockey rinks which are busy 24/7. The interesting thing about the hockey games played at the Oval is the names on the backs of the jerseys, most are now of Chinese descent.
Song Andong poses after being selected 172nd overall by the New York Islanders during the 2015 NHL Draft. Photo: AFP
Richmond is well known for its Asian influence, most of the city’s residents are ethically Chinese, and there’s been a long-standing battle about Mandarin street signs overtaking English ones across the municipality. Many locals accuse the Chinese communities of creating ethnic silos, but if the integration of hockey into the enclave’s culture is any indication, things are changing.
You cannot get any more Canadian than hockey or the National Hockey League. Canadians still make up the largest chunk of NHL players at 45.1 per cent, with the next closest the United States at 25.5 per cent.
