China’s participation in the men’s tournament has been the subject of doubt over recent months, as the International Ice Hockey Federation expressed concerns over the standard of the team.

The IIHF ruled last month that China would keep its host nation spot, with approval granted after evaluations of Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) matches for Kunlun Red Star.

All 25 members of China’s Olympic squad have played for the Beijing-based team this season.

Kunlun Red Star joined the majority-Russian KHL in 2016, which has allowed overseas and players of Chinese-heritage to be naturalised to represent the host nation at the Games.

Pengfei Han, Paris O’Brien and Jeremy Smith have been named as China’s goaltenders for the Games.

Smith is one of five players to have had experience of playing in the National Hockey League, which is considered to be the best ice hockey league in the world.

Jake Chelios, the son of Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Chris Chelios, is among the squad.

Chris Chelios competed at four Winter Olympics for the United States, winning silver at Salt Lake City 2002.

He also set the record for the longest time between his first and last Olympic appearance, having debuted at Sarajevo 1984 and also played at Turin 2006.

Jake Chelios will be joined by fellow defenceman Ryan Sproul in China's Beijing 2022 team.

China’s captain Brandon Yip and Spencer Foo are among the forwards boasting NHL experience in the squad.

China’s defence will include Zimeng Chen, Jason Fram, Denis Osipov, Ruinan Yan, Zach Yuen, Pengfei Zhang and Enlai Zheng.

The former is also known as Ty Schultz, having been born in Canada to a German father and Chinese mother.

China’s squad is completed by forwards Parker Foo, Jianing Guo, Cory Kane, Lukas Lockhart, Ethan Werek, Tyler Wong, Xudong Xiang, Juncheng Yan, Rudi Ying, Wei Zhong and Zesen Zhang.

The IIHF has highlighted Ruinan Yan, Zimeng Chen and Pengfei Zhang, with the young trio having been born in China.

China’s team are being led by Italian-Canadian coach Ivano Zanatta, who represented Italy at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.

Concerns will linger over the quality of the Chinese team heading into the Games, with the Kunlun Red Star team having won nine and lost 39 of its matches in the Kontinental Hockey League season in preparation for Beijing 2022.

The gulf between the sport’s leading nations has been eased by the absence of NHL players, however China will remain major underdogs when they face Canada, the United States and Germany, the Pyeongchang 2018 silver medallists.

The US and Canada between them have won the Olympic title 10 times.

The Russian Olympic Committee, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark will compete in Group B, while Group C features Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and Latvia.