The drama involving Philadelphia Flyers’ goaltender Ivan Fedotov has been brewing for quite a while. Fedotov, drafted in the 7th round in 2015 by Philadelphia, has had a roller coaster of a career, thus far. After being detained in St. Petersburg only a year ago for evading military service, he has now been suspended over his contract situation with the Flyers and his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) team, CSKA Hockey Club.
A Quick Rundown on Fedotov’s Suspension
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) chose to suspend Fedotov for four months, meaning he cannot appear in international and official national games during that period. He was also banned from international transfers for a year.
With the suspension in mind, what was the reasoning? Why is the penalty so harsh?
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According to the IIHF, their reasoning was as follows:
In accordance with Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations, Ivan Fedotov was given two (2) weeks to either go back to his former club (i.e Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club); or obtain a release from his former club. As neither action occurred within the given period, the IIHF has imposed the following sporting sanctions on Ivan Fedotov:
– A four (4) month suspension on playing in official national and international games during playing periods. The suspension shall take effect on 1 September 2023 (first CSKA regular season game) and conclude on 31 December 2023.
Reasoning for the suspension via the IIHF website
Since Fedotov had signed a contract with both the Flyers and his KHL team, CSKA, he had a choice on what he would do given the circumstances. He decided to let the situation play out, so he was suspended, as a result.
What it Means for the Flyers
The good news for the Flyers is that suspension was actually ruling in favor of them. Since the Flyers handed out their contract first, the IIHF’s ruling benefitted Philadelphia. From what we know, Fedotov can choose to come over to the Flyers if the team and player are in agreement, as the contract the Flyers have in place with the netminder is intact.
The Flyers wanted Fedotov to be their backup entering last season, but his detainment in Russia stalled that.
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The team was in a difficult spot after this occurred, leaning on young goaltenders Samuel Ersson and Felix Sandstrom to be the main backups for the year. If Fedotov can come over, they will rely on Ersson, Sandstrom, and Fedotov, as well as recently acquired Cal Petersen, to play behind Carter Hart.
Whether or not this is a major benefit to the Flyers is unknown, but they have some authority in the situation, at the very least. The now 26-year-old goaltender can play for Philadelphia if everything works out.
Why the Fedotov Situation is Exciting for the Flyers
Even though Fedotov is a bit older to be considered a budding star, there have been situations of great goaltenders entering the league at around his age.
One example is New York Islanders’ goaltender, Ilya Sorokin, although Sorokin was more highly regarded entering the league than Fedotov.
In the KHL, Fedotov has posted some terrific seasons, even for the league’s standards. He has appeared in 84 games in his last three seasons and finished 12th, 8th, and 15th in the league in terms of save percentage (SV%) in those years. This is a pretty good asset for the Flyers to have their hands on, especially since he has experience playing at the professional level.
In the NHL, we might expect some regression, given he did not play in the KHL in 2022-23. However, Fedotov should still be competent. It is much better to have him than to not have the choice. If nothing else, Fedotov provides reassurance if injuries become an issue for the Flyers in goal.
If Fedotov Plays for the Flyers
If Fedotov wins the backup job or some injuries occur, it will be pretty exciting to see him play in the NHL. It would be tough to gauge him in his first season, as he would likely see limited action given how competitive the backup role is, but we can get a sense of what he could be for the team. With some solid goaltending prospects in the system already, Fedotov can bolster that significantly if he is the real deal.
