Matches between hockey players of the Russian Federation and the USA can be held in St. Petersburg and Washington

Games between Russian and American teams playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) may take place in St. Petersburg and Washington. This was announced on April 14 by Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sports of Russia, President of the Russian Olympic Committee, speaking at the Senezh Management Workshop as part of the Event Management Workshop educational program.

This is how he commented on US President Donald Trump's support for Russian Leader Vladimir Putin's initiative to organize hockey matches in the USA and Russia.

"Matches are possible <...> There are non-public negotiations in the public sphere. The national teams of Russia and the USA from the NHL and KHL players will play. The logic here will be two national teams with two flags. The series will be held in St. Petersburg and, most likely, in Washington," he said.

According to the head of the Ministry of Sports, the most difficult thing in the negotiations on matches is the choice of dates and coordination on insurance issues, as well as the distribution of finances and advertising support.

"I would love to play in a match between the KHL and NHL teams"

Avangard hockey player Konstantin Okulov — about the game that Putin and Trump agreed on, the chances of the Russian national team returning to the international stage, the success of the Omsk club and the extension of the contract

The Russian president expressed the idea of holding hockey matches between Russians and Americans playing in the KHL and NHL during telephone conversations with his American counterpart on March 18. The US president supported the Russian leader's proposal.

The next day, Degtyarev announced that his department had already begun work on organizing matches between the KHL and the NHL. He noted that sport has always contributed to detente in international relations.