Esposito, Putin, and the Ice: A Canadian Star’s Take on Russia’s Leader

Phil Esposito, famed for his two Stanley Cup victories and his place as the top scorer of the 1972 Super Series between the USSR and Canada, speaks about a surprising connection he has drawn with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. The conversation, as recounted through a Russian news agency, offers a window into how sport and politics sometimes intertwine at the highest levels. Esposito recalls a moment in Moscow during a team presentation when Putin, curious and candid, asked him whether he felt embarrassed after a fall on the ice. The former center forward answered with a practical, almost defiant humor: in such moments, one can either cry or laugh, and he chose the latter. This anecdote, attributed to the agency TASS, underscores a sense of shared humanity that can exist even in scenes far removed from the usual political theater.