CHINA CLAIMS HISTORIC SILVER

Young, all-Chinese roster reaches heights not seen in three decades

From having to rely on naturalized troops at its home Olympics to securing a silver medal at the worlds with an all-Chinese roster, China's men's ice hockey has come a long way over the past four years.

With gloves tossed in the air and the crowd on its feet roaring, pucksters in red and white collided in bear hugs, as the wild celebration at the Universiade Center Arena in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Tuesday sent a strong message to ice hockey's elite — the long-overdue rise of China's men's program is happening for real and, remarkably, on its own.