Vladimir Putin, who himself has enjoyed lacing up his skates over the years, proposed that the USA and Russia meet on the rink, reports CNN.
Donald Trump, primarily associated with the much more tranquil golf, is said to have given the thumbs up.
"Donald Trump backed Vladimir Putin's proposal to organize ice hockey matches in the USA and Russia between Russian and American NHL and KHL players," it says in a statement from the Kremlin.
The North American hockey league NHL says in a statement to the news agency AP that they have just "become aware of the conversation" between Trump and Putin.
"Of course, we were not part of those discussions, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment right now," writes NHL.
Fredrik Wesslau, former deputy head of the EU mission in Ukraine and now at the Centre for East European Studies, says that the proposal can be seen as a "confidence-building measure" – which benefits Russia.
It breaks Russia's isolation when it comes to international sports. And it reminds us of the Cold War's ice hockey matches. It's a sign that Trump and Putin are products of the Cold War.
