U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed staging a series of hockey games between players from their respective countries during their lengthy call Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.
Moscow said in its recap of the call that Trump supported Putin’s idea to organize games in the U.S. and Russia involving players from the NHL and the KHL, and agreed to remain in contact on all issues raised on the call, which was scheduled to discuss the war in Ukraine. The White House’s report of the call did not mention talks involving hockey, and the NHL learned of the idea after it was over.
“We have just become aware of the conversation between President Trump and President Putin,” the NHL said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “Obviously, we were not a party to those discussions, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”
A message sent to USA Hockey seeking comment was not immediately returned.
The call is Trump’s latest foray into the sport after calling in to speak to the U.S. team at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month before the final, which ended in a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada. The U.S. anthem was booed in Montreal during the international tournament after Trump’s repeated comments about making Canada “the 51st state” and tariffs that have triggered a trade war between the North American neighbours.
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Putin’s love of hockey as his favorite sport is widely known. He attended the Russia-U.S. preliminary round game at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, famously won in a shootout by American T.J. Oshie.
The countries’ rivalry on the ice dates to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” when an underdog group of U.S. amateurs beat the heavily favored Soviet Union in the medal round on the way to capturing Olympic gold in Lake Placid, New York.
The Russians, playing as the Olympic Athletes from Russia because of previous doping violations, won men’s hockey gold at the Games in 2018 when the NHL did not participate for the first time since 1994.
The NHL has continued to allow Russian players in their league, most prominently Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals as he chases down Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. Some of the most talented players in the league are from Russia, including Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and winger Nikita Kucherov and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
The NHL Players’ Association and league have plans to hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2028, though it is unclear if Russians will be part of it.
“Russia has a great hockey tradition. We have great Russian players playing in our league,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the 4 Nations in Montreal. “The International Ice Hockey Federation just voted to keep Russia out of competitions, as have many of sports, and we’re going to have to see what the International Olympic Committee does. But we have enough time to deal with the realities of what the world situation looks like before that.”
Union executive director Marty Walsh said members from Russia he has spoken to want to be able to represent their country again on the world stage.
“I’d love to see our Russian players playing in the tournaments again,” Walsh said last month. “They are incredible hockey players. The issues are political. It’s not political as far as NHL. It’s the world politics we have to get through. I am hoping that as we get closer to the Olympics, closer to the World Cup, we will start seeing Russian athletes back in competition.”
