Ivan Fedotov doesn't care about his suspension: he'll play in the KHL today

In the last few days, we’ve learned thatIvan Fedotov’s NHL contract has been deemed valid. The result? Seeing him sign in the KHL meant sanctions.

That doesn’t mean he’ll be reporting to the Flyers, a club that’s not afraid to draft in Russia – including Matvei Michkov. That said, it does mean that Fedotov has been suspended by the IIHF and that CSKA also has sanctions.

But nobody cares about that. Obviously, the KHL(which is very angry at this turn of events) has decided not to recognize the validity of the suspension and to brag about it.

The league’s official account announced, at the start of the regular season in Russia and on the first day of the goalie’s suspension, that Fedotov was his team’s starting goalie.

CSKA’s starting goalie for tonight’s game – Ivan Fedotov. pic.twitter.com/XKV51jlsw7

– KHL (@khl_eng) September 1, 2023

There are images of him playing soon (in Russia, the time difference means it’s time to play) that are circulating and that have many people wondering.

And rightly so.

#FueledByPhilly CSKA IVAN FEDOTOV IS ON THE ICE!!!!!!!!!!!! #OpeningCup #KHL pic.twitter.com/Xnyl0UlP4k

– Field hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) September 1, 2023

After the CSKA match, we can expect the international federation to look into the matter and react to the situation via a statement targeting the KHL and CSKA.

Sanctions could be imposed, but…

Ivan Fedotov will line up in front of CSKA’s goal tonight for the 1st #KHL game of the season.
Immediate reaction from the IIHF and Luc Tardif, a press release will be published on the website after the game. The Russian club should be subject to sanctions.

– Nicolas Jacquet (@Nico_Jt_) September 1, 2023

It’s like a teacher imposing an hour of copying school rules on a high school student on his lunch hour… and the kid doesn’t show up. You can give him two, three, four or fifty more, if he refuses to show up, it doesn’t change anything.

Absolutely nothing, in fact.

And this is the case. The KHL has obviously decided not to recognize the validity of the Flyers’ contract and not to recognize the validity of the sanction imposed by the international federation.

More than ever, the KHL has just stated that it doesn’t give a damn about the existing rules and agreements with the NHL. Gary Bettman must not be a happy man at the moment, and I wonder how this will affect diplomatic relations between the two leagues.