Putin’s team wins 13-9 in Night Hockey League gala match

The Hockey Legends team, with Russian President Vladimir Putin as playing, has won 13-9 in a gala match of the Night Hockey League in Sochi.

Putin was wearing his customary red hockey jersey, sporting number 11, TASS reported.

Last time, Putin hit the ice in a friendly match of the Night Hockey League played at a skating rink on Red Square at the end of December 2019. The president has regularly played in Sochi gala matches of the Night Hockey League finals, with the latest held in May 2019. In 2020 the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.

The Night Ice Hockey League was founded at Putin’s initiative on December 15, 2011. Hockey enthusiasts started gathering at sports stadiums during their spare time, usually late in the evening (hence the league’s name) to play their favorite game just for fun. Renowned Soviet and Russian hockey stars joined the initiative to help arrange regular competitions involving amateur teams across Russia in a national tournament.

The first Night Ice Hockey League gala match took place in Moscow on May 7, 2012. Putin played then, too, just several hours after his presidential inauguration in the Kremlin.