The Flyers goalkeeper is excluded from international play

According to Philadelphia Hockey Now’s Jonathan Bailey, the International Ice Hockey Federation has imposed sanctions on Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov, KHL club CSKA Moskva and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation for violating Fedotov’s entry-level contract for 2022.

Fedotov signed the contract in May 2022 and attempted to move to the Flyers before the 2022-23 season. But when he tried to leave the country, he was arrested by Russian authorities and forced to serve a calendar year of military service. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported that this service took place on an aircraft carrier in the Murmansk region, far from the front lines.

He signed a two-year contract in the KHL with CSKA this season, justifying the sanctions. The official penalties are as follows, according to an IIHF statement:

• Fedotov is banned from participating in all IIHF competitions, including the Olympics, for the next three years.
• If Fedotov leaves the Flyers and plays for an international club, he will receive a six-month ban from club sports.
• CSKA is banned from making international transfers for two years, starting August 11, 2024 and ending August 10, 2026.
• The Russian Ice Hockey Federation was fined one million Swiss francs.

Looking for a glimmer of hope, Fedotov can at least be happy with his final performance in Russia. He recorded 21 wins and a .914 save percentage in 44 games, hitting .916 in five postseason games.

CSKA terminated his contract at the end of the season so that he could move to Philadelphia a year earlier. Fedotov made this move near the end of the Flyers’ season, appearing in the first three NHL games of his career and stopping 43 of the 53 shots he faced.

Fedotov secured his place in Russian ice hockey in the 2021-22 season, leading CSKA to the Gagarin Cup and Team Russia to a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He posted impressive stats throughout, posting a save percentage of . 919 and a .943 save percentage in six Olympic appearances.

While a future Russian Olympic squad would likely turn to NHL stars Andrei Vasilevskiy or Igor Shesterkin, Fedotov would undoubtedly be on the short list of final options.