Vanke Rays

Vanke Rays
CityShenzhen, Guangdong, China
LeagueCanadian Women's Hockey League
Founded2017 (2017)
Folded2018 (2018)
Home arenaShenzhen Dayun Arena
ColorsRed, white
   
General managerShirley Hon
Head coachRob Morgan[1]
WebsiteOfficial website (archived)
Shenzhen Vanke Rays
Traditional Chinese深圳万科陽光
Simplified Chinese深圳万科阳光
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShēnzhèn Wànkē Yángguāng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationSāmzan Mahkfō Yeùhnggwōng

The Shenzhen Vanke Rays (Chinese: 深圳万科阳光) were a women's ice hockey team that played in the 2017–18 season of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). They were based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China and played at the Shenzhen Dayun Arena. The team was developed along with the Kunlun Red Star WIH as part of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association (CIHA) in an effort to grow interest in ice hockey in China in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.[2] Both teams debuted in the 2017–18 CWHL season. The general manager was Shirley Hon, who was named to the position on August 18, 2017.[3]

In 2018, the CWHL contracted the Rays' membership after one season to focus solely on the Kunlun Red Star team in China.[4] Shortly after, Kunlun Red Star was rebranded as the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays as the CWHL integrated the two teams.[5]

  1. ^ "Twitter post with head coach". August 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "Growing the Game in China: International Transfers and the Rules of Expansion". www.theicegarden.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  3. ^ "Shirley Hon Joins Vanke Rays as General Manager". www.thecwhl.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  4. ^ "CWHL to Feature Six Teams in 2018-19". CWHL. July 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Maura Sun (3 August 2018). "Kunlun Red Stars Announce Team Name Change". Canadian Women's Hockey League. Retrieved 8 August 2018.