Charles B. Wang Hope Cup Kicks Off On Long Island

The Charles B. Wang Hope Cup, hosted by the New York Islanders in conjunction with Charles B. Wang's Project Hope, is set to begin on Wednesday, Jan. 15 and runs through Friday, Jan. 17. The tournament brings teams from China, Japan, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Canada and the United States to compete against each other, submerse themselves in different cultures and make long lasting friendships, all with the common bond of hockey.

The tournament, now in its 12th year, will take place at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, New York, the official practice facility of the New York Islanders. As the original NHL team to host an international youth hockey tournament, the New York Islanders have been at the forefront of growing youth hockey beyond North America.

Each year, the week-long tournament gives over 200 youth hockey players a unique, multi-cultural experience - the chance to play hockey against and interact with youth hockey players from all around the world. In addition, players take part in various site-seeing activities across Long Island, Brooklyn and New York City. Teams also attend New York Islanders games. The 2020 Charles B. Wang Hope Cup will include a skills competition and closing ceremony on January 17th from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at Northwell Health Ice Center to showcase all the participating teams and players.
The Charles B. Wang Hope Cup was created as part of former Islanders Owner Charles Wang's larger vision for Project Hope, which was to use hockey as a cultural and educational bridge. His goal was to bring together children from all over the world to compete and share their common bond - a love for hockey.

About Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey Project Hope:
The ultimate goal of Project Hope is to provide young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities. Project Hope creates opportunities for cultural exchange through international youth hockey events and by promoting Project Hope scholarship placements in the United States.
By working closely with local and provincial officials in the cities of Harbin and Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, China, the New York Islanders have embarked upon an un-precedented multi-faceted educations initiatives that will undoubtedly change the lives of young athletes forever: The Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey Project Hope.
Since its inception in 2006, the Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey Project Hope program has expanded to work with more than 40 schools throughout the Heilongjiang province and Inner Mongolia impacting thousands of students. Starting in 2008, in partnership with the New York Islanders, Project Hope has hosted an international hockey tournament for 11-12-year old players. The Charles B. Wang Hope Cup has featured teams from China, Japan, Italy, Amsterdam, Finland and the United States.
Beginning in 2016, Project Hope executives and the New York Islanders have hosted a team of junior (16-20-year-old) players representing the Beijing Hockey Association in New York from August-May each year. These players have been trained and developed by our staff and have competed as a team in the USPHL. Many of these players are considered candidates to represent China in the 2022 Winter Olympics.