U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to organize ice hockey matches between professional American and Russian players, the Kremlin announced after the two leaders spoke on Tuesday.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, the country has been banned from participating in international ice hockey competitions.
The Kremlin stated, “Donald Trump supported Vladimir Putin’s idea to organize hockey matches in the USA and Russia between Russian and American players from the NHL and KHL.”
The National Hockey League (NHL) is the leading hockey league in North America, while the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) operates in Russia.
The White House, in its statement following the call between the two leaders, did not mention hockey and has not responded to inquiries regarding the matter.
The NHL, meanwhile, said it was not yet ready to comment.
“We have just become aware of the conversation between President Trump and President Putin,” an NHL spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters. “Obviously, we were not a party to those discussions, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”
In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suspended all national teams and clubs from Russia and Belarus from participating in international competitions.
The NHL also severed ties with Russian business partners, paused its Russian-language social media and digital platforms, and stated it would not consider Russia for future competitions. The IIHF subsequently moved the 2023 World Championships out of St. Petersburg.
Despite these suspensions, Russian players have continued to play for professional teams in the U.S. and Canada.
The IIHF announced that it would make a decision regarding Russia and Belarus’ participation in the 2025-26 season by May of this year. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in February.
Putin, an avid hockey fan, has been seen publicly playing hockey in Russia on several occasions.
