This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

It appears rumours of Vladimir Putin’s invincibility may have been exaggerated as the Russian president only managed to score five of his team’s 12 goals during an exhibition ice hockey game on Thursday.

That tally continues a worrying trend for the Russian president. Putin plays regularly for the Legends of Hockey team in a game given wide coverage on Russian state TV. Playing alongside former NHL players, Putin scored eight goals in 2015 and seven last year, meaning the 65-year-old’s hopes of playing professionally now appear to be slipping.

Putin, whose political opponents have been known to die in mysterious circumstances, was not tightly marked during the game.

Putin said that hockey players set a “wonderful example” for Russians. “Thanks to you, millions of people make a choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle,” he added.

On Thursday, Putin played alongside former NHL players Pavel Bure and Slava Fetisov. The opposition was composed of amateurs and a pro-Putin billionaire.

At the time of writing, it was unclear whether US president Donald Trump had congratulated Putin on his victory.