U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of organizing a series of hockey matches featuring players from both nations during their extensive conversation on Tuesday, as reported by the Kremlin.
Moscow’s summary of the call indicates that Trump endorsed Putin’s proposal to arrange games in both the U.S. and Russia that would include players from the NHL and the KHL. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch regarding all topics mentioned during the call, which was originally meant to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The White House’s summary did not reference any discussions about hockey, and the NHL became aware of the proposal only after the conversation concluded.
“We just learned of the dialogue between President Trump and President Putin,” the NHL stated in a communication to The Associated Press. “Naturally, we were not involved in those discussions, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”
A request for comment sent to USA Hockey was not immediately answered.
This call marks Trump’s latest engagement with the sport following his call to the U.S. team during the recent 4 Nations Face-Off, where he spoke before the final match, which resulted in a 3-2 overtime defeat against Canada. The U.S. anthem faced boos in Montreal during this international tournament, following Trump’s previous remarks about making Canada “the 51st state” and the tariffs that have incited a trade conflict between the neighboring countries.
Putin’s passion for hockey is well-documented. He was present at the Russia-U.S. preliminary game during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, famously won in a shootout by American T.J. Oshie.
The historical rivalry between the two countries on the ice began with the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”, when an underdog team of U.S. amateurs triumphed over the heavily favored Soviet Union in the medal round on their way to winning Olympic gold in Lake Placid, New York.
In 2018, the Russians, competing as the Olympic Athletes from Russia due to prior doping offenses, claimed gold in men’s hockey at the Games, marking the first time since 1994 that the NHL did not take part.
Russia has been banned by the International Ice Hockey Federation from all tournaments it oversees following the Ukraine invasion in February 2022. A resolution regarding the 2026 Milan Olympics is still pending, even though NHL players are set to return. However, the International Olympic Committee prohibited Russian teams from participating in last summer’s events in Paris, allowing only individual athletes to compete as neutrals.
The NHL continues to include Russian players in its league, most notably Alex Ovechkin from the Washington Capitals, as he pursues Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. Some of the league’s elite players originate from Russia, including Tampa Bay’s goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, winger Nikita Kucherov, and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
The NHL Players’ Association and the league are working on plans for a World Cup of Hockey in 2028, although it remains uncertain if Russian players will participate.
“Russia has a rich hockey tradition and features outstanding Russian players in our league,” Commissioner Gary Bettman remarked at the 4 Nations event in Montreal. “The International Ice Hockey Federation has voted to exclude Russia from competitions, as have many other sports, and we need to see what the International Olympic Committee decides. But we have ample time to address the realities of the world situation as we approach that time.”
Union executive director Marty Walsh mentioned that the Russian players he has spoken with are eager to represent their country on the global stage again.
“I’d love to see our Russian players participating in tournaments once more,” Walsh stated last month. “They are extraordinary hockey talents. The challenges we face are political. It’s not about the NHL—it’s the geopolitical issues we need to navigate. I hope that as we get closer to the Olympics and the World Cup, we will see Russian athletes back in competition.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
