Ivan Fedotov: despite his “illegitimate” KHL contract, he still dreams of the NHL

About a year ago, Ivan Fedotov’s name was the talk of the NHL. The goalie, who had just signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers, was arrested in Russia and forced to complete his military service. Rumors of poisoning had surfaced, and the case seemed most nebulous.

But ten days ago, Fedotov was back in the news, with the news that he had signed a two-year contract in the KHL. And since he’s under contract in the NHL, the Flyers weren’t exactly pleased, as he became the first player not to honor his NHL contract since the NHL-KHL agreement expired in 2022.

Earlier today, Fedotov addressed the media to give an update on the situation and the last year of his life. He talked a bit about his military service in northern Russia, and clearly, he couldn’t wait for it to be over, he who “counted the days” and did it all “without emotion”.

That said, he was also asked about the Flyers and the NHL. He explained that he wants to get back into shape after a year in which the field hockey wasn’t as good (he was able to play a bit with the army, but the calibre was obviously lower), and since CSKA holds his rights, he’s decided to go back with them.

As for the Flyers, he hasn’t spoken to them in the last year, except when the club called to remind him that he had signed a contract. But clearly, the situation seems a little tense.

Lastly, #FueledByPhilly Ivan Fedotov says he has not given up on his dream of playing in the #NHL 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/YRzjVMfW2y

– Field hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) July 17, 2023

In short, the situation still seems a little nebulous, and it’s not yet clear why Fedotov hasn’t honored his contract with the Flyers. He may want to take the next two years to catch up on a year’s worth of work before playing with the Flyers next, but at nearly 27, he’s getting on in years.

We’ll see how the situation develops over the coming weeks and years. On the other hand, I hope for the Flyers’ sake that Matvei Michkov doesn’t find himself in a similar situation in three years’ time: that would start to cause quite a few problems with Russia for the club.

In brief

– A case settled in Arizona.

– Wow!

A great angle of Kwency Fontaine’s beautiful goal, set up by Liam Tep, at the Brick Invitational. 🔥

(🎥: IG/scholten_productions) pic.twitter.com/P2cBNR6afM

– BarDown (@BarDown) July 17, 2023

– A (nice) surprise for the Jays. My text on the subject.

– Great news for the Raptors prospect.