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Japanese hockey players in Calgary to play exhibition series

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A group of Japanese youngsters got a very Calgary welcome Saturday.

Hockey Calgary members white-hatted the kids as they arrived at Max Bell Centre.

Team OHS from Japan will face off against Calgary's U-13 Double-A and Division One teams in a series of exhibition games this week.

Hockey Calgary's vision is that hockey is 'everyone's game' – and events like these expose more players to the sport, making it even more global.

"It's about meeting new people, developing their leadership and people skills. It's an all-round exciting event for the young kids," said Hockey Canada's Kevin Kobelka.

"This is really just an intro for them, to see that they can play hockey anywhere.  And use it as a bridge to meet people from other cultures," said Team OHS manager Jason Wik.

The Japanese team will play a game nearly every day and get the chance to explore the city and surrounding area.

Hockey Calgary has also hosted teams from other countries, including Croatia and Korea.

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