Degtyarev reported on the work of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation on the organization of the match between the NHL and the KHL

The Russian Ministry of Sports has begun work on organizing a match between Russian and American players of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the National Hockey League (NHL). This was announced on March 19 by the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, President of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev.

The corresponding idea was proposed the day before during a telephone conversation between the Presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the United States, Donald Trump.

"Our president's idea, we fully support it. Sport at all times, especially during times of complex international tension, we remember this from Soviet times, during the Cold War, it acted as a sphere that brings people closer together, provides a detente. We recall the famous super series "Russia – Canada". Therefore, we fully support and are already working on the idea of holding such matches," Degtyarev told reporters.

The phone conversation between Putin and Trump and the global reaction. The main thing

The phone conversation between Putin and Trump on March 18 lasted more than two hours. During this time, the leaders discussed a wide range of topics, from the Ukrainian settlement and the situation in the Middle East to improving relations between Moscow and Washington. We also talked about hockey. The American leader supported the idea of the Russian president to hold hockey matches in both countries between Russian and American players playing in the KHL and NHL.

The KHL and NHL clubs played three matches against each other. Magnitogorsk Metallurg lost to New York Rangers in Bern, Switzerland, in 2008 (3:4). SKA St. Petersburg beat Carolina at home in 2010 (5:3), and Dinamo Riga lost to Phoenix on its ice (1:3).