U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly talked about arranging a series of hockey matchups between American and Russian players during their lengthy call on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin. The news emerged Wednesday, hinting at another possible international showdown, with Trump suggesting a USA-Russia best-on-best series to Putin. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he only learned about the proposal when it became public that same day.
“I’m not going to speculate or anything else. It is what it is,” said Bettman in an interview according to NHL insider Chris Johnston.
Trump and Putin’s meeting
According to Moscow’s summary of the call, Trump backed Putin’s proposal to host games in both the U.S. and Russia featuring NHL and KHL players. The two leaders also agreed to stay in touch regarding all topics discussed, including the primary focus of the call—the war in Ukraine. However, the White House’s official readout made no mention of any hockey discussions, and the NHL only became aware of the idea after the call had ended.
USA Hockey has not yet issued a response to the request for comment. This marks Trump’s latest involvement in the sport, following his call to the U.S. team before their 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off final.
The tournament saw heightened tensions, as Montreal fans jeered the U.S. anthem—likely a reaction to Trump’s repeated claims about turning Canada into “the 51st state” and the escalating trade conflict between the neighboring nations.
Putin’s passion for hockey is well-documented. He was in attendance for the Russia-U.S. preliminary round matchup at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a game that ended in a dramatic shootout victory for the Americans, led by T.J. Oshie’s heroics.
History between USA Hockey and Russia
The hockey rivalry between the two nations traces back to the iconic 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” when a scrappy team of U.S. amateurs stunned the powerhouse Soviet squad in the medal round, paving the way for Olympic gold in Lake Placid, New York.
Competing under the banner of Olympic Athletes from Russia due to past doping sanctions, the Russian squad captured men’s hockey gold at the 2018 Winter Games—the first Olympic tournament without NHL participation since 1994.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the International Ice Hockey Federation has barred the country from all its tournaments. No decision has been made regarding Russia’s participation in the 2026 Milan Olympics, where NHL players are set to return. However, the International Olympic Committee excluded Russian teams from the 2024 Paris Games, only allowing individual athletes to compete as neutrals.
Gary Bettman and the NHL has remained open to Russian players, with stars like Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals continuing to compete as he pursues Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. Some of the league’s top talent hails from Russia, including Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, forward Nikita Kucherov, and Minnesota Wild standout Kirill Kaprizov.
NHL and KHL teams have met in competition before, most recently during the 2010 Premiere Challenge, where the Carolina Hurricanes took on SKA Saint Petersburg and the Phoenix Coyotes battled Dinamo Riga. Exhibition matchups between NHL teams and the Soviet Red Army date back to the 1970s, while the USSR and Canada clashed in the iconic Summit Series of 1972 and 1974.
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