On October 17, the Heilongjiang Sports Bureau announced that the opening ceremony for the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ice Hockey Invitational took place in Qiqihar on October 16. The first match of the tournament featured the local Qiqihar ice hockey team facing off against Kazakhstan’s AHL Almaty, known as the “Eagles of Central Asia.”

Qiqihar is one of the birthplaces of ice hockey in China, boasting a rich tradition and deep cultural significance, which has earned it the nickname “City of Ice Hockey.”

During the opening match, Beijing Paralympic champion Wu Qing was present to drop the puck, kicking off the competition.

As the first period began, the Qiqihar team played aggressively against AHL Almaty. Taking advantage of their home ice, Qiqihar put significant pressure on Almaty’s net. However, despite several attempts, they were unable to score. At the 13:21 mark, Qiqihar’s No. 97, Ma Xiaoyu, was penalized, allowing AHL Almaty to gain a numerical advantage. They capitalized on this opportunity, launching several threatening attacks, all of which were skillfully thwarted by Qiqihar’s goalkeeper. The deadlock was finally broken at 14:44 when AHL Almaty’s No. 17, Ibraimbekov, scored the first goal. He followed this up with another goal at 16:44, putting his team ahead 2-0.

In the second period, at 23:57, AHL Almaty’s No. 5, Rakhmetianov, was penalized for two minutes, giving Qiqihar the chance they needed. No. 79, Chang Jiuyuan, took advantage and scored, narrowing the gap to 2-1. Energized by their goal, Qiqihar launched multiple attacks, keeping AHL Almaty’s goalkeeper very busy. Despite their offensive pressure, the score remained 2-1 as the second period concluded.

The third period began with AHL Almaty attempting a powerful shot that hit the crossbar, nearly extending their lead. They quickly followed up with more shots, and at 43:06, No. 7, Amanzolov, scored another goal, bringing the score to 3-1. At 45:47, AHL Almaty’s No. 8, Zhalasov, was penalized, allowing Qiqihar to respond with another goal, cutting the deficit to 2-3. However, AHL Almaty struck back at 52:45 with another goal that sealed their victory, with the final score ending at 4-2 in favor of AHL Almaty.

After the match, AHL Almaty’s coach, Peter Ilizarov, remarked, “This was a tough game, and I’m very pleased that we came away with the win. The team’s morale has received a significant boost, and we will prepare diligently for our next match to achieve consecutive victories.”

Earlier that day, HC Binhai defeated the Naryn Eagles 6-4. On October 17, two matches are scheduled: Russia’s HC Binhai will take on Kazakhstan’s AHL Almaty, while the Kyrgyz Naryn Eagles will face Qiqihar.

The 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ice Hockey Invitational is an international event involving various countries under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, taking place from October 16 to 21 at the Qiqihar Winter Sports Center ice rink, featuring four teams in the adult category and five teams in the youth category from member nations like China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.