Is there any viable evidence showing hockey growth in China? When I see Kunlun highlights on the KHL's youtube page, it doesn't seem like the arena is full at times.
I just don't see China being a hockey powerhouse, unless they can gather players through naturalization.
In soccer there's been huge growth, massive investment, and still they're not even a regional powerhouse. But in that sport China is abandoning the requirement of Chinese ethnic origin when it comes to naturalization and will probably have a number of Brazilians playing in the national team already in the nearest future.