Beijing (AFP) - USA Hockey's squad of second-choice players thrashed a Chinese team packed with foreign-born recruits 8-0 on Thursday as the geopolitical rivals both debuted in a Beijing Olympic competition lacking NHL glamour.
Perennial gold medal threat Canada meanwhile dispatched 2018 silver medallists Germany 5-1 in the other match in the Olympic tournament's "Group of Death".
The National Hockey League's late decision to keep their superstars away from Beijing over Covid, forced hockey heavyweights Canada and the United States to hastily throw together youth-heavy teams untested at international level.
But the young Americans had little trouble with China, which was making its maiden appearance in men's hockey after nearly being barred from the Beijing Games over concerns they would embarrass themselves and the sport.
The United States, many of them college players, launched twice as many shots and looked sharper, better organised and more dangerous throughout.
Sean Farrell, a 20-year-old who plays for Harvard University, whipped in three goals in a long night for China's US-born goalie Jeremy Smith.
The contest had loomed as an intriguing match-up due to the rancour between the two countries, with the US government refusing to send any government representatives to the Games over China's human rights record.
Canada, birthplace of the game and winner of three of the last five golds, deployed its seemingly inexhaustible pool of young talent to dominate the Germans.
Canada scored three in the first period.
With North America's biggest stars absent, the experienced Finns and defending- champion Russians have emerged as potential favourites.
Both are stocked with top talent from Russia's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), widely consider the world's second-best after the NHL.
The Russians looked beatable in their opening game on Wednesday, battling to get past Switzerland, 1-0.
But Finland showed their quality on Thursday, easily dispatching Slovakia 6-2 to open their account in Group C.
World champions in 2019, Finland is comprised of teammates from various KHL squads and their chemistry was on display from the start as they scored three goals on just six shots to start the game.
In other Group C play earlier on Thursday, Sweden beat Latvia 3-2.
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