WORCESTER — As war rages between Ukraine and Russia, native sons from each country wear the same uniform, share meals and talk during long bus rides in North America.

Artur Terchiyev and Andrei Bakanov recently became teammates for the Worcester Railers and proved that hockey is a universal sport that transcends any battlefield, or political differences.

Terchiyev, 25, of Kyiv, and Bakanov, 20, of Moscow, were proud to share the same ice. In fact, war was never a subject of conversation.

“We really didn’t focus on that,” Terchiyev said. “We’re just here to play hockey.”

Terchiyev was called up from the Birmingham Bulls of the Southern Professional Hockey League, while Bakanov was sent down from Springfield’s AHL team. He played only three games for the Railers before he returned to Springfield. Terchiyev remains in Worcester.

During their brief time together, they conversed in Russian and found they had mutual friends in the game. While Railers teammates, and fans alike, were interested in that dynamic of a Ukrainian and Russian on the same team, hockey was the only thing that mattered for both players.

“It’s pretty important. We’re the last guys to talk about (war),” Terchiyev said. “We’re both in North America playing hockey, playing the game we love. I don’t think we’re in a position to talk about guys younger than us fighting for our countries. It’s not a topic I would bring up, or too keen to discuss with him, or anyone else.”

Terchiyev, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound defenseman signed with the Railers last season after a four-year career at Division 3 University of Wisconsin-Superior. However, he did not play a game for the Railers and was sent down to Birmingham. He started this season with the Bulls, and then with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Comets before re-signing with the Railers.