Hockey Night in Canada playoff webcast in Mandarin

The CBC is adding a Chinese flavour to Hockey Night in Canada, broadcasting some of the NHL playoffs in Mandarin.

The public broadcaster has invited 24-year-old Jason Wang of Vancouver to provide play-by-play commentary in his native Mandarin for one series in each of the four playoff rounds.

Wang has been calling the Montreal-Boston series, which will wrap up Monday night as the teams play Game seven.

The Mandarin broadcasts have been streamed live on the CBC.ca/sports website.

Wang, who was born in Taiwan, said the Chinese-speaking audience for hockey is only going to grow, and this is a way to connect with a broader group of potential fans.

But it has been difficult to figure out the translations, because some terms, like hockey puck, don't have an equivalent word in Mandarin, he said.

The CBC hasn't decided yet if more games will be broadcast in Mandarin next season, but he's hoping they invite him back, said Wang.