On March 18 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and United States President Donald Trump had a meeting, stated WDHN. In the meeting, Putin suggested American players in the National Hockey League (NHL) and Russian Players from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) should play a few matches in Russia. President Trump supported this idea during the same meeting. The NHL is the premier hockey league for Canadian and American hockey players while the KHL is the premier league for Russia.
While both leaders did not mention any professional reason for these matches, it would be politically beneficial to Russia. The country has been politically isolated since invading Ukraine in 2022. By hosting matches between an American and a Russian hockey team, Russia might be able to open doors to better relations or even an alliance between itself and the U.S. However, Russia has also been isolated from international hockey. Reuters reports that, in 2022, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) banned all Russian teams and clubs from taking part in international events and moved the 2023 world championships out of St. Petersburg. The NHL stopped its Russian language social and digital media sites, as well as working with business partners in Russia, and said it would not include Russia in any future competitions.
Putin’s request might come from a Soviet Union tradition. According to NBC News, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union used hockey as a proxy arena for international relations. The most famous example of this is the 1980 Olympics. The Soviet Union had just invaded Afghanistan and tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were raised to a high that hadn’t been seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. In the 1980 Winter Olympics, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were set to face off in the semi-finals, called “medal rounds” because it decided final medal placings, for ice hockey. Citizens of both countries saw it as a way to show which country was stronger. The Soviets were undefeated and Team USA was composed of mostly amateurs. The Soviet Union often tried to boast how strong they were by defeating powerful countries in sports like hockey but in 1980, Team USA ended up beating the Soviet Union and went on to win gold. For America, this became the ultimate underdog story and show of U.S. strength and persistence. This event is captured in the 2004 movie “Miracle” that follows Team USA from the 1980 Olympics. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the tradition of solving geopolitical issues on the ice faded and politics were dealt with through meetings and conferences.
The NHL and USA Hockey have yet to comment on the U.S.-Russia matchup, so it is not decided if the U.S. will participate. Many are in support of these games because they think it will help stop war. Amidst the turmoil of the world’s current situation, sports can provide a break and hope for the future.
