Big-arena ice hockey is returning to Shanghai.
This March 5 and 7, the Shanghai Dragons will host two games at the Oriental Sports Center as part of the KHL World Games — that's the Kontinental Hockey League, one of the top pro hockey leagues outside North America. Think high-level, full-contact, very fast hockey, with teams from across Russia and Central Asia.
On March 5, the Dragons face Sibir Novosibirsk (from Siberia, Russia). On March 7, it's Barys Astana, the Kazakhstan-based team out of Astana. Both games are neutral-site fixtures in the 2025/26 season, marking the league's first return to China in six years.
They're also leaning into the spectacle: Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva is scheduled to perform in the pre-game shows, adding a bit of Winter Olympics energy to the whole thing.
Tickets are on sale now. The closer, lower-bowl seats — the ones where you actually feel the boards shake — are already selling quickly. If you're even hockey-curious, this is probably the one to catch.
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