Ivan Fedotov: the KHL is really pissed off at the IIHF

This morning, we were finally treated to the announcement of the sanctions in goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s 2018 ECJ case. For those who haven’t been following the case, let’s remember that he had signed a contract with the Flyers last summer, was then arrested in Russia to complete his military service and decided to join the KHL ranks this year.

Clearly, this didn’t sit well with the Flyers, who took their case to the IIHF. They won their case this morning.

What this means, concretely, is that he won’t be able to play in the KHL or with the Russian national team for four months from September 1. His team, CSKA Moscow, will not be able to make international transfers for the next year.

However, in practical terms, this doesn’t seem to prevent him from playing in the NHL tomorrow morning. It’s a bit like Evgeny Kuznetsov’s situation in 2019, when he was suspended for four years by the IIHF but continued to play in the Bettman circuit.

The problem is that the KHL has been up in arms with the IIHF since the announcement this morning. One gets the feeling that the league has not digested the decision and intends to fight to overturn it.

And Valery Kamensky, the KHL’s vice-president, didn’t hesitate to take a swipe at the IIHF, saying that the league must stop cooperating with it as long as the Russians are banned from the international scene.

Far be it from me to defend the Russians in this matter, but the KHL’s frustration is understandable.

After all, the fact remains that they are currently forced to respect the decision of a federation that has banned them from the international scene, while the NHL can take advantage of the situation to repatriate Fedotov.

CSKA Moscow obviously doesn’t agree either, finding it “absurd” to have to respect an organization that “defends the NHL’s rights above all else”.

Clearly, we can expect the issue to continue to be talked about, as the decision is rather poorly received in Russia. Will the KHL win in the end? I doubt it, but they will continue to fight to overturn the decision.

In gusto

– Expect him to sell his CH shares (probably to Geoff Molson) within the next few weeks.

– Still, it’s amazing.

– News of the Frenchman’s debut in Saudi Arabia.

– Shooting Stars are LECB champions.

– Nothing less.