For the second year in a row, the NHL has sent two teams to China in an effort to grow the game in the world’s biggest country.

After the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks travelled across continents to last season, the Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins are currently in China for the O.R.G. NHL China Games for two exhibition games.

Following the Bruins 4-3 in a shootout win on early Friday morning in Shenzhen, the Flames and Bruins separately went sightseeing one of the world’s most recognizable tourist hubs, the Great Wall of China.

Among the activities the team did along the wall included riding chairlifts and slider sets, all while being decked out in Chinese hats.

"We're in a part of the world so different from our own,'' said Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic to NHL.com's George Johnson. "And when you think what had to happen to build this Wall, the vision it took to imagine it, the effort and ingenuity it took to complete … you take a step back and realize what we just did, as a team and as an organization.

A once in a lifetime opportunity, sightseeing the wall was a great exercise for team bonding, especially at this time of the year when new players are getting familiar with their new team and teammates.

"In the big scheme of things, how often are you going to come to China?" said Hamonic. "I might never come back in my life. The way the world is now, you never know. So things like that, I think you're forced to just appreciate and step back a little bit. Sometimes on this trip guys have looked at each other when we're doing something out and about and it's a pinch-me moment. Someone is like, 'Dude, we're in the middle of China right now.' It's a lifetime experience and I'm pretty grateful because you never know what's around the corner."

"If someone asked me: 'So what did you do today?'," said Flames GM Brad Treliving with a bottle of Tsingtao in hand, "I could tell them: 'Actually, I just had a beer on the Great Wall of China.'

"Pretty good day, I'd say.


The Flames and Bruins will clash in the second game of the series in Beijing on Wednesday.

(h/t NHL.com's Dan Rosen and NHL.com's Flames correspondent George Johnson)