In a shocking development Friday, prospect Ivan Fedotov is being detained in Russia over suspicions of being an army evader, according to several reports.
Fedotov, 25, expected to join Philadelphia this season and compete for the club’s back-up job. This scary situation will have to alter those plans. The former 7th round pick just finished up a strong season this year with CSKA Moskva. Fedotov’s season ended with an impressive .937 save percentage in the post-season, helping his team to the KHL’s crown, the Gagarin Cup. He will know to wait to make the leap to the NHL.
According to Fontanka.ru, the St. Petersburg police received a request from the military prosecutor’s office that stated “there are sufficient grounds to consider Fedotov an army draft dodger.” Fedotov could face up to two years in prison for the violation of the Criminal Code in Russia. He is also in violation of illegally terminating his contract with Moscow’s CSKA hockey club.
The Flyers likely knew this was a concern before signing Fedotov to his entry level contract in May, but they couldn’t have anticipated this. The Russia Ukraine conflict complicated matters for players trying to make the transition to the NHL. Fedotov is not likely to be the last. It may cast some doubt over Russian-born players who plan on entering the NHL draft too. There is no guarantee he will be available to the team at all this season.
Here is a statement from general manager Chuck Fletcher, as the Flyers will continue to their own due diligence:
All of us here at phiredupsports.com are sending our well wishes to Ivan Fedotov and his family. Some of things are bigger than sports and this certainly qualifies. We will continue to follow this story as more becomes available.
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