Canadian-born Jason Fram brings U Sports experience to China's Olympic hockey team

When the horn sounded on March 17, 2019, Jason Fram left the ice in Lethbridge, Alta., for the final time as a University of Alberta Golden Bear.

The 26-year-old Vancouver native's team had just fallen 4-2 to the University of New Brunswick Reds, losing the 2019 U Sports men's hockey national championship final.

Three years later, and alongside fellow U Sports alumnus in UBC grad Luke Lockhart, he will face the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team as a member of Team China Sunday in Beijing at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Without a thriving domestic league, the Chinese hockey program draws from foreign nationals, including 11 Canadian-born players, all of whom play for Kunlun Red Star, China's lone team in the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League. China recruited foreign nationals to play for its men's and women's hockey teams at these Olympics.

The Chinese team was shut out 8-0 by Team USA in its Olympic debut game on Wednesday, but scored two in a 3-2 loss to Germany on Friday.

For Fram, Red Star and the potential of playing for China was tantalizing from the first moment he heard of the opportunity during the summer while at home in Richmond, B.C.

After his final year in 2018-19, Fram left for Beijing, embarking on his post-U Sports career and Olympic adventure, while finishing his degree online due to COVID-19.

Originally from British Columbia's Lower Mainland, Fram had never been to China. However, when he arrived in Beijing it felt familiar. Growing up in Richmond, where 56 per cent of its population is of Chinese heritage, made the transition easier.

"When I showed up, it reminded me of home a little bit." he said. "There are places [in RIchmond] where you are walking down the street and people aren't speaking English, and the