IIHF confirms China can participate in men's Olympic hockey tournament

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Tuesday that China's men's hockey team will participate in the 2022 Olympics.

Host countries receive automatic berths in each sport, but the status of China's men's hockey team was in question due to eligibility and quality concerns.

The team is largely made up of players from the KHL's Kunlun Red Star. IIHF officials monitored two of their games against league opponents in November in order to determine whether the Chinese squad would be competitive enough to face Olympic teams filled with NHL players come February.

Despite getting the green light to play, China undoubtedly faces an enormous test as it shares a group with Canada, USA, and Germany.