President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of a match between American and Russian hockey players, according to a conversation summary published by the Russian government on Tuesday.
A release From the Kremlin, which summed up various subjects of a call between the two presidents on Tuesday, included a mention of a potential hockey confrontation between the NHL and the KHL players, the Russian hockey league. According to the press release, President Trump supported President Putin's suggestion to organize hockey matches between NHL and KHL players in the United States and Russia.
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The NHL responded to the news of the telephone call with identical declarations shared with Espn And Athletics.
“We have just become aware of the conversation between President Trump and President Putin,” the NHL said in the statement. “Obviously, we were not part of these discussions and it would be inappropriate for us to comment at the moment.”
Russian hockey has not participated in the international since February 2022, after the International Ice Hockey Federation has placed sanctions against the team when Russia has invaded Ukraine. Last month, the IIHF extended the ban until 2026This means that the team will not be allowed to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, under the Russian flag. 2026 should be the first time in a decade in NHL players will participate in the Olympic Games.
The NHL separated from the KHL in 2022, roughly at the same time as the initial sanctions of the IIHF. Before the invasion, the NHL was linked to the KHL, the two even holding a few friendly games from the Crusader League in 2008 and 2010.
