The Canadian man who once helped bring basketball hall-of-famer Dennis Rodman to North Korea is now eyeing another project: a hockey tournament that could see former NHL players visit the secluded nation.
The tournament, scheduled for March 7-11 in Pyongyang, comes just after the North's fourth nuclear test and nearly a month since it launched an Earth-exploration satellite that the U.S. says was a thinly veiled attempt to refine its ballistic missile technology.
Michael Spavor, organizer of the tournament and head of the nonprofit Paektu Cultural Exchange, which promotes greater engagement with the Pyongyang, said in an interview with The Japan Times that hockey "could be a unique way to build friendships and trust" between Canada and North Korea.