Report: Biden Admin Considered Expelling Russian NHL Players Like Alex Ovechkin To Pressure Putin

A new report reveals that the Biden Administration considered doing something that could have potentially changed the course of National Hockey League history.

The Wall Street Journal released a story on Thursday with a title that lets you know right away what it's all about: "Could the U.S. Have Saved Navalny?"

That would be Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who survived arrests, assaults, and even poisoning until he died in Russian custody in 2024. 

It's an in-depth piece by Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson, and an interesting read that ties together efforts to save Navalny as well as other Americans who were held by the Russians at the time, including former Marine Paul Whelan and WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich.

According to the story, it was believed that one way to secure Navalny's release from Russian custody was through a prisoner swap, and they had someone in mind who would likely lead to a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The problem was that this person was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian hitman and FSB (the successor to the KGB) officer serving a life sentence in Germany for killing one of Putin's opponents in Berlin.

Convincing Germany to hand over a cold-blooded killer was a big ask, and it was up to Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, to get it done.

The other problem, however, was the optics of exchanging a murderous intelligence officer for Navalny, especially as this came on the heels of the US exchanging arms dealer Victor Bout for detained WNBA star Brittney Griner.

So, Sullivan explored other ways to put pressure on the Russians, including one that would've left a lot of NHL teams frustrated.

A new report from <i>The Wall Street Journal</i> reveals that the Biden administration considered a move that would have changed the course of NHL history. (Photo by TATYANA MAKEYEVA / AFP) (Photo by TATYANA MAKEYEVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Admin Considered Expelling Russian Hockey Players

"The administration needed to explore alternative trades that wouldn’t include the murderer or other ways to pressure the Kremlin," the WSJ report states. "Sullivan had considered punishing Putin by expelling Russian hockey players in America, including Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL star chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time scoring record. He decided against it."

Whoa.

Now, that would have been wild, possibly changing the course of NHL history, as it would've likely meant that Ovechkin would never catch Gretzky as the all-time leading scorer.

Of course, they didn't go this route, and while a big prisoner exchange took place in 2024 — in which Whelan, Gerskovich, and Krasikov were all involved — it came months after Navalny's death. This has led many to wonder what would've happened if the administration had acted faster.

Now, that little tidbit about the NHL has gotten a lot of people — myself included — wondering what impact sending Russian players could have had on the situation and the league.