Chinese hockey team loses 1st trial game for Olympics in OT

MYTISHCHI, Russia (AP) — The players hoping to represent China in men’s hockey at next year’s Beijing Olympics lost to a Russian club in overtime in a game used by international officials to assess China’s competitive strength. Kunlun Red Star fought back from a four-goal deficit to force overtime before losing to Amur Khabarovsk 5-4 in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League. Kunlun has been playing in the KHL as a proxy for the China team and a base for naturalized players who grew up in the United States and Canada. The team has a 7-21 record in the KHL this season.