Their surge has not gone unnoticed. The country has been awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics, and also Japan is feeling the heat, no longer being the sole emperor in the Far East.

Over many decades of international ice hocke0y, Japan has been the virtually unchallenged hockey power in the Far East. But Korea has overtaken China as the number-two country from the Far East and is now also challenging Japan (21st) especially in the Asia League, which saw a Korean-born player run away with the regular-season MVP award for the first time in history.

On the international board that Korea will be playing at during the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group B in Eindhoven, the country will no longer be considered a bottom feeder but will be the main favourites for the gold medal.

The Asians won’t take anything for granted and put together a solid preparation schedule en route to the tournament. They have decided to travel to Europe already as of early April to play exhibition games in Denmark and Germany with a new coaching staff consisting out of former NHLers Jim Paek as head coach and Richard Park as assistant coach.

One of the players that boarded the plane to Europe is Mike Testwuide. The American-born forward has just received his Korean citizenship and is eligible to make his debut for the Korean national team. Testwuide moved to Korea in 2013 and has become an integral part of the Anyang Halla offence that has been extremely successful in the Asia League. In 94 games he recorded no less than 60 goals and 120 points.