ST. LOUIS — The Stars could be heading east — to the Far East.

According to a source, the Stars would be “highly considered” to play games in China if the league chooses to play there next season, likely in the preseason. Stars president Brad Alberts confirmed the league is considering the team to play in China.

The exact opponent, dates and locations in China are unclear, and it remains uncertain if the league will actually play in China next season. It would be the first time Dallas has played in Asia, and another recent league event involving the Stars.

The NHL has gone to China twice before, most recently during the preseason of 2018 when the Bruins and Flames opened training camp there, and played games in both Shenzhen and Beijing across more than a week in the country. The Canucks and Kings also played preseason games in Shanghai and Beijing in Sept. 2017.

Should the Stars wind up playing in China, it would mark the third major NHL event involving the franchise since 2018. Dallas hosted the 2018 draft at the American Airlines Center. The Cotton Bowl hosted the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, the second-most attended game in NHL history. Playing in China this fall would be latest high-profile event for the organization.

The Stars are already involved in Chinese hockey, entering a developmental agreement with the Beijing Shougang Hockey Club in September that involves the Stars’ amateur coaching staff working with the Shougang Eagles “to help further develop their skills in advance of the 2022 Winter Olympics,” according to a press release.

We’re going worldwide!



The Stars, Neltex Sports and Beijing Shougang Hockey Club have announced a developmental agreement to train elite hockey prospects in China in advance of the 2022 Winter Olympics. #GoStars pic.twitter.com/xnPrDcRQ2U — Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) September 18, 2019

As part of the agreement, the Eagles will train in the Dallas area, and two extended visits by Stars staffers had already taken place at the time of the announcement on Sept. 18. The team also announced the creation of a Weibo account, joining the most popular social network in China. The Stars were the fifth NHL team to join Weibo.

“Our commitment to growing the game while also growing our digital footprint across the globe is vitally important to the continued growth of our brand,” Alberts said in a statement at the time of the announcement.

China will become an important location in hockey circles ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. During a press conference Friday evening in St. Louis, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league has not yet decided whether or not to participate in the Olympics in two years after not allowing players in 2018 to play in the games in PyeongChang.

“From our standpoint, we believe and with our experience, both with going to five Olympics and then not going to PyeongChang tells us that going is extraordinarily disruptive to the season,” Bettman said. “I won’t take you through the litany of reasons why. You’ve all heard me say it. I know it maintains itself as a priority for the Players’ Association, but having said that, we were very comfortable with not going to Korea.”

Bettman did not disclose a deadline to decide on the Olympics, instead saying “I’ll know when I see it, when we get there.”

China is also a controversial location. Last year, the NBA squirmed after Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters ahead of previously scheduled Lakers-Nets games in China. Chinese companies pulled business from both the Rockets and the league, and players like LeBron James were criticized for not taking a firm stand against the Chinese government.

Most recently, the country has quarantined about 40 million people in Wuhan and surrounding areas to try and combat the spread of the coronavirus.