Today in Moscow, a friendly hockey match will take place between amateur teams from Russia and the United States. The event was first announced at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum during the session entitled “Russia–US: A Cultural Dialogue” by Robert Agee, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. The organizers are the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham) and the Red Machine youth hockey school. The match is being held with the support of the Roscongress Foundation and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.
This is not a match between national teams, nor a contest to determine who is stronger. This match is an opportunity to communicate, to build direct dialogue, and to strengthen ties between people, countries, and partners. It is precisely for this reason that the idea for such a meeting arose at SPIEF: it will act as a continuation of the conversation about sport, culture, and international engagement.
The Russian team will take to the ice under the name Red Machine, a symbol of domestic hockey, the strength of tradition, and the bond between generations. The Red Machine youth hockey school is providing organizational support to ensure the match is held at a high level. Thanks to this, hockey stars and other celebrated figures have been invited to join the Russian team, and the roster will include players of different ages, underscoring the connection between generations. The ceremonial opening face-off will be performed by legendary twentieth-century ice hockey player, three-time Olympic champion, ten-time world champion, and President of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia Vladislav Tretiak.
The match will feature representatives of politics, business, and the arts, including world-renowned opera singer Ildar Abdrazakov; saxophonist Igor Butman; Roman Rotenberg, head coach of the Russia 25 national team and founder of the Red Machine youth hockey academy; Stanley Cup holders Mikhail Sergachev and Alexander Nikishin; world-class stars Artemi Panarin, Kirill Marchenko, and Alexander Romanov; 2018 Olympic champions Ilya Kablukov and Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers, NHL); and players from Russia’s youth national teams. The captain of the Russian team will be celebrated hockey player and State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Fetisov, and the head coach will be Olympic champion and legendary forward Alexander Yakushev.
The US team will include both well-known American hockey legends and amateur players, who represent companies that are members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham). The US team will be captained by Scottie McPherson, a participant in the US team at the World University Games in Sofia and a hockey manager with many years of experience in the Kontinental Hockey League.
The organizers view this match as an important opportunity to strengthen the American-Russian dialogue through sport and culture. It is also significant that the game will form part of a broader dialogue, including at the level of business engagement. Such meetings promise to provide a strong foundation for further sporting, economic, and humanitarian interaction. Furthermore, this match has the potential to lay the groundwork for a large-scale sporting movement and, in time, to serve as a catalyst for organizing youth and junior tournaments between hockey schools operating under two programmes: the Red Machine National Hockey Player Development Programme, approved by the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, and the US National Team Development Program (NTDP, Michigan, Detroit), as well as for the organization of competitions between the national teams of Russia and the United States.
Source: SPIEF
