Biden Administration’s Clandestine Plans to Expel Russian NHL Stars as Retribution Against Putin”

The Biden administration reportedly contemplated a scheme to eject Russian NHL players from the U.S., including superstar Alexander Ovechkin, as part of a strategy to exert pressure on Vladimir Putin to secure the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as per a Wall Street Journal report issued on August 7.

In a striking disclosure, the scheme shows extreme measures taken behind-the-scenes by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to find leverage over the Kremlin without exchanging a valuable prisoner. Navalny, a staunch critic of Putin, died in a Russian penal colony earlier in the year under controversial circumstances, halting hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough.

According to the WSJ report, among Sullivan’s more drastic suggestions was targeting well-known NHL players like Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin, who is close to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record. The report stated that Sullivan contemplated punishing Putin by expelling Russian hockey players, including Ovechkin, from America. Had the scheme proceeded, numerous Russian-born NHL players might have been forced out of the U.S., possibly impacting their careers and the history of the NHL. This could also have rekindled Cold War–era tensions in sports, reminiscent of when Soviet players defected to North America to play professional hockey.

Ultimately though, the scheme was shelved, thus sparing players like Ovechkin from a politically-motivated exit. The Trump administration, currently in power, hasn’t pursued similar immigration restrictions and NHL teams are still recruiting Russian talent. Recent player transfers, such as Ivan Demidov to the Montreal Canadiens and Maxim Shabanov to the New York Islanders, show no decrease in the number of Russian players being recruited. However, the threat remains; the Russian government might one day prohibit its athletes from leaving, putting them in a difficult position.

The WSJ report highlights how easily international tensions can impact sports – even hockey superstars might be used as pieces in a high-stakes geopolitical game.