RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. Vladimir Putin has a lot of hobbies. Fishing and horseback riding come to mind, both activities he seems to enjoy doing shirtless. But his real love is hockey. He plays in this big exhibition game every year. Last year, Putin scored seven goals. But this year, the Russian president only managed to score five. Putin had former NHL players on his team. The other side was made up of amateurs and a billionaire friend of Putin's. You'll be shocked to know that, somehow, Putin's team came out on top. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.