Biden administration secretly plotted kicking Alex Ovechkin and Russian NHL stars out of U.S. to punish Vladimir Putin over Navalny

In a stunning revelation, the Biden administration allegedly weighed an unprecedented plan, expelling Russian NHL players from the United States, as part of a pressure campaign on Vladimir Putin to secure the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to a Wall Street Journal report published August 7.

Hockey stars could have been caught in the political crossfire

The report sheds light on behind-the-scenes negotiations led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was tasked with finding leverage over the Kremlin without conceding a high-value prisoner. Navalny, a fierce critic of Putin, died in a Russian penal colony earlier this year under disputed circumstances, derailing hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough.

The WSJ claims that one of Sullivan’s more drastic ideas involved targeting some of the NHL’s biggest names, including Washington Capitals legend Alexander Ovechkin, who is in hot pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record.“Sullivan had considered punishing Putin by expelling Russian hockey players in America, including Alexander Ovechkin,” the report stated.If the move had gone ahead, dozens of Russian-born NHL players would have been forced to leave the U.S., potentially altering the course of their careers and NHL history. Such an expulsion could also have reignited Cold War–era tensions in sports, echoing the days when Soviet players defected to North America to pursue professional hockey.

Russian NHL players remain safe — for now

Ultimately, the plan was shelved, sparing players like Ovechkin from a politically charged exit. The current Trump administration has not pursued similar immigration restrictions, and NHL teams have continued to recruit talent from Russia.Recent signings, including Ivan Demidov by the Montreal Canadiens and Maxim Shabanov by the New York Islanders, show no slowdown in the influx of Russian players. However, uncertainties linger. The Russian government itself could one day block its athletes from leaving, forcing them into difficult choices reminiscent of Soviet-era defections.Also Read: As Alex Ovechkin prepares to retire, his wife Nastasiya steals spotlight at Jennifer Lopez’s Kazakhstan concertWhile the political storm has passed for now, the WSJ report underscores how quickly global tensions can spill onto the ice — and how even hockey’s brightest stars can find themselves pawns in a high-stakes geopolitical game.