International hockey is certainly making waves, with record ratings for last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off and high expectations for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, which will see NHL players participating for the first time since 2014. An intriguing international angle has emerged, as U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed an idea initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning NHL-KHL exhibition games. This was part of a broader diplomatic discussion between the two leaders on a recent Tuesday:
President Donald Trump supported President Vladimir Putin’s idea to organize hockey games between the U.S. and Russia, involving NHL and KHL players, during their phone call on Tuesday.https://t.co/r0fIV2HdYU
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) March 18, 2025
For more insights on this matter, check out this piece by Greg Wyshynski from ESPN, highlighting the NHL’s lack of endorsement for the proposal:
President Donald Trump supported President Vladimir Putin’s idea to organize hockey games between the U.S. and Russia during their phone call on Tuesday, according to a summary released by the Kremlin.
According to the Russian government, Trump and Putin discussed “hockey matches in the USA and Russia between Russian and American players playing in the NHL and KHL,” which is Russia’s professional hockey league.
“We have just become aware of the conversation between President Trump and President Putin,” the NHL said in a statement to ESPN. “Obviously, we were not a party to those discussions and it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”
A key point mentioned by Wyshynski is that both the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation have effectively isolated Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The NHL severed all ties with Russian organizations, such as the KHL, following the invasion, despite the league having previously hosted exhibition games against KHL teams in 2008 and 2010. Meanwhile, the IIHF has banned Russia (and Belarus) from international tournaments through 2025, leaving the prospects for their participation in next year’s Olympics uncertain.
There has certainly been a surge in interest in hockey stemming from the 4 Nations Face-Off, which featured its own political dimensions, particularly during the Canada-U.S. final. There’s also viable interest for KHL-NHL exhibition games. However, it’s striking that the conversation originated from Trump and Putin rather than the leagues involved, especially given the NHL’s cautious response (which is understandable considering Russia’s current status within the international community, including the IIHF). The outcome remains to be seen, but it’s certainly significant that this topic arose in a Trump-Putin call.
