Flyers G Fedotov's KHL deal terminated after season spent defying IIHF ruling
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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov had his contract terminated by the KHL's CSKA Moscow on Thursday after spending the season defying an International Ice Hockey Federation ruling.
Fedotov spent this season with the Russian club, despite the IIHF ruling in favour of the NHL and Flyers in August that Fedotov's contract would be tolled after he missed last season having been called into military service in Russia.
The ruling, which was upheld upon appeal in December, was supposed to void Fedotov's contract with CSKA, with the KHL club also receiving a one-year international transfer ban. However, the netminder remained with CSKA Moscow, with the KHL stating Thursday he remained signed through next season prior to the termination. His NHL contract with the Flyers is set to expire on July 1.
The 27-year-old goaltender went 21-22-1 with CSKA this season, posting a .914 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average. The Moscow club was eliminated from the KHL playoffs earlier this month, with Fedotov going 1-4 with a .916 save percentage and a 2.57 GAA.
Selected by the Flyers in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, Fedotov has never played hockey in North America.
As part of the IIHF's ruling in August, he received a four-month ban from playing in official national and international games. It's unclear whether he could face further discipline after spending the year in the KHL.
"Based on the evidence provided to the IIHF by the involved parties, the IIHF has determined that Ivan Fedotov has a valid NHL Contract with the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club for the 2023/2024 season," the IIHF said in its ruling last year. "Accordingly, the IIHF has determined that Ivan Fedotov was in breach of a Professional Player Contract per Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations when he signed a contract with CSKA hockey club for the 2023/2024 season."
Prior to missing the entire 2022-23 as part of his military service, Fedotov had spent previous three seasons as a starter in the KHL with Chelyabinsk Traktor and CSKA.