Russian President Putin Celebrates His 63rd Birthday

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

TASS: Putin plays hockey in Sochi on his 63rd birthday

SOCHI, October 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who turned 63 on Wednesday, joined Russian and Soviet ice hockey legends in the opening match of the fifth season of the Night Hockey League.

Putin joined a team of hockey stars Pavel Bure, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Alexey Kasatonov, Valery Kamensky, Alexander Mogilny and others.

They clashed with an NHL team reinforced on the rink by top officials and including Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov, Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov, and businessmen Gennady Timchenko and Boris and Arkady Rotenberg.

Update #1: Putin spends his 63rd birthday playing hockey with NHL stars -- AP
Update #2: Putin marks 63rd birthday with ice hockey match, Syria war briefing -- Reuters
Update #2: Vladimir Putin celebrates birthday on ice in celebrity hockey match -- The Guardian

WNU Editor: I saw Putin play hockey a few years back when he was PM. For his age he is an excellent player. No body-checking was allowed.