Red Wings Legend Willing to Teach Trump to Skate

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov views Vladimir Putin’s suggestion to US President Donald Trump that the two nations participate in an international hockey summit to be a master stroke on the part of the Russian President.

“This is a pass that Trump simply could not not accept,” Fetisov told Russian website aif.ru. “This is a well-thought-out step by our president. It’s not about hockey anymore, but about people, about their communication.

“Such hockey diplomacy in relation to the two countries has been present for a long time.”

Stanley Cup Champion Matthew Tkachuk & The Florida Panthers Visit the White House & meet President Trump 🇺🇸

Well done! 👏🏿 pic.twitter.com/zSU80Vj4ZG

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Fetisov played in the most famous hockey game between the two nations, the iconic Miracle On Ice 4-3 win by the USA at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games. Today, in his role as a deputy of the Russian Douma, Fetisov’s participation would come on a much different platform.

Still, he’s willing to go the extra mile in order to try and make this international hockey series come to fruition.

Red Wings Hall Of Famer Ready To Give Trump Skating Lessons

Fetisov has stated he is willing to teach the US President how to skate.

“Trump, he is a great golfer,” Fetisov told Russian news agency TASS. “Well, hockey can be a challenge for men, and I don’t know if he is ready for that.

“It is essential to have a grasp and vision of hockey and be in the right place at the right time. Certainly, one can learn how to skate, but unfortunately, this feeling cannot be instilled.”

Trump’s hockey knowledge appears to be a mixed bag. He did call the US team to wish them luck prior to facing Canada at the recent 4 Nations Face-Off. More recently, he cited Russia’s Alex Ovechkin as a great Canadian hockey player. That was during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Trump: "I love Canada. I have a lot of respect for the Canadians…You happen to have a very, very good hockey player right here on the Capitals, he is a big tough cookie too, just broke the record."

Alex Ovechkin is Russian. pic.twitter.com/kMvyj7YmZP

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The US President did seem to be intrigued by the idea of a USA-Russia hockey summit. The subject was broached between the two world leaders in late March. There’s just one problem with the idea. Russia is currently banned from international participation by the IIHF over the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Participation of any NHL players even in exhibition games facing any sort of Russian national squad could potentially jeopardize that country’s participation the 2026 Winter Olympics. Those games will be the first to feature NHL players since 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Of course, what we’ve learned over the years about Trump is that he’s not one to give credence to such items as international sanctions, legal ramifications, or the Constitution for that matter.

“If the two presidents have agreed, why not believe that such matches will take place?” Fetisov said.