Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off his versatility as he put on his skates for a gala ice hockey match in Sochi. Playing for the Hockey Legends team against the Night Hockey League team as part of the 10th Night Hockey League National Festival at the Bolshoi Ice Arena in Sochi, Putin scored eight goals. The Night Hockey League is an all-Russia amateur teams hockey tournament founded at Vladimir Putin's initiative in 2011. As is customary, Vladimir Putin played for the Hockey Legends team as the No. 11.
Watch highlights from Vladimir Putin's performance here:
Here are some pics from the event.
After the match, the Russian President met with hockey player Pavel Bure and presented a state decoration to him.
"I wish you all the best on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Night Hockey League," Putin said at the event, addressing the players and viewers, according to the official website of the President of Russia.
"Pavel Bure has been awarded the Order for Services to the Fatherland IV degree for his outstanding achievements in high-performance sports and international sports and also for his attention to and development of amateur sports," he said.
Putin had earlier met with the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Rene Fasel, who was a guest at the event.
They discussed the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Novosibirsk and Omsk and the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship in St Petersburg.