2023-07-10 21:00:37
Goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov, after serving in the army, registered a contract with CSKA. However, the NHL said that the player cannot play in the KHL, as he has a contract with Philadelphia. How the contract of the goalkeeper of the national team led to a scandal – in the material “RBC Sport”
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(Photo: Sergey Fadeichev/TASS)
Ivan Fedotov is the silver medalist of the Beijing Olympics in the Russian team, the winner of the Gagarin Cup with CSKA. In July 2022, the hockey player was detained in St. Petersburg, a few days later it became known that the goalkeeper was in a military unit in Severodvinsk. The defense of the hockey player filed a complaint with the court to invalidate the decision of the commission on conscription for military service, and also appealed to the military prosecutor’s office. Later, the hockey player refused to challenge the draft case in court. In March 2023, the telegram channel Arena Nezygar reported that CSKA President Igor Esmantovich contributed to Fedotov being drafted into the army, and during the current season he called the goalkeeper back to the club, but the president of Rosneft, the general sponsor of the army, Igor Sechin vetoed the goalkeeper’s return.
On July 3, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) did not approve the return of goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov to CSKA without the permission of the National Hockey League (NHL). But a few days later, the KHL registered a contract. The NHL then stated that the goalkeeper had a valid contractual obligation with the Philadelphia Flyers and he was not eligible to play in the KHL.
The Russian last year signed a one-year contract with Philadelphia. But before leaving, he was detained and soon sent to military service.
The KHL also noted that Fedotov “does not have a signed current contract with the NHL club for the 2023/24 season in the sense that was laid down in the Memorandum of Understanding.” In response, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Match TV: “If Fedotov plays in the KHL, this will be contrary to his existing contractual obligations with the Flyers.
Po data Sport-Express, CSKA’s agreement with the 26-year-old goalkeeper was carried out without a transfer card. This means that the decision of the KHL on the legitimacy of the concluded agreement was made without consultations from the IIHF. According to the rules of the federation, without a transfer card, a player cannot be allowed to participate in the championship.
The Russian Hockey Federation (FHR) said on July 10 that it would insist on strict adherence to the KHL’s rules for international transfers. “Goaltender Ivan Fedotov signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League in April 2022. He did not start fulfilling his contractual obligations, as he was serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, ”the FHR said in a statement.
The FHR called the situation “ambiguous, requiring detailed analysis and legal resolution.” The FHR “considers it necessary to obtain official information from the NHL on Fedotov’s contractual status and only after consultations with the IIHF make a decision on the possibility of the hockey player’s participation in the KHL championship,” the statement said.
“The FHR, as a member of the IIHF, will insist on the Continental Hockey League’s strict adherence to the IIHF international transfer rules, as violation of the regulations and rules can lead to negative consequences for Russian hockey,” the federation stressed.
Expert opinions
Boris Mikhailov, member of the Supervisory Board of CSKA
“Are you surprised that the FHR is asking for advice from the IIHF? I am not surprised. There is a natural process going on. Everything goes according to plan. I think that President Esmantovich (Igor Esmantovich – President of CSKA. – RBC.) aware of the matter and will address these issues. I knew the NHL would put a spoke in the wheel. They believe they are right, we believe we are. Igor Vyacheslavovich proved that we are right. Everything will be OK”, – quotes the words Mikhailov “SE”.
Pavel Bure, Former captain of the Russian national team, member of the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame and the Supervisory Board of CSKA
“Ivan Fedotov is a very good goalkeeper. He proved himself strongly, and with him in 2022 the Gagarin Cup was won. I think he will strengthen CSKA. Yes, Fedotov served in the army for the last year. But he must have been practicing for a while. I think that he will be able to return to the top level. I hope that because of this transition there will be no disputes between the NHL and the KHL. Moreover, our league and Esmantovich very confidently put everything on the shelves, that relations between organizations are not violated. Yes, and Fedotov signed the contract himself, his desire to play for CSKA is obvious. In general, over the past 30 years, the legal aspects between the leagues have changed a lot. In the early 90s, there was another country, only the Soviet Union collapsed. But people work, negotiate, respect each other. It’s nice to see when the NHL and the KHL are doing everything possible to find a common language on a number of issues even in a difficult international environment,” declared Bure “Match TV”.
Alexey Dementiev, former scout for NHL clubs Ottawa and Nashville
“Very interesting statement by the FHR. It will be important to get a press release from the NHL, how they see the current situation and what steps they want to take. At the moment, the situation is developing in such a way that the NHL feels the disadvantaged side, depending on their statement, you can think about further steps. Now it is difficult to discuss, we do not have all the tools to assess the situation. The incident with Fedotov may affect the relationship between the NHL and the KHL in view of the fact that the players who have a contract with the KHL club will pack up and leave for North America. This is the biggest annoyance that can be. In any case, everything is decided through negotiations. All parties understand the risks of the situation, I believe that there will be a compromise,” Dementyev told RBC Sport.
Vladimir Plushev, former coach of the Russian national team (2002-2003)
“I think that the statement of the FHR determined everything in many respects. It is necessary to put legal points between the subjects of this dispute so that there are no more consequences in the future. But first of all, this issue should have been decided much earlier not by the NHL and the KHL, but by CSKA and Philadelphia at the negotiating table. Fedotov is one of the brightest Russian goalkeepers, for sure the national team coaches will want to use him. If there are any contradictions, I think that the IIHF will clearly not take our side and his further performance for the national team is a big question. The NHL clubs will still be interested in our players, but if the legal aspects are violated and a compromise is not found, then the sediment will remain. In fact, one side decided everything for itself, but we live in a legal world. Therefore, it was necessary to negotiate, and not confront the opponent with a fact, ”Plyushchev told RBC Sport.
Boris Mayorov, two-time Olympic ice hockey champion
“I’m fine with the fact that Fedotov returned to CSKA. The main thing is that the situation was resolved. And then two days ago it was not known where he would play. Still, the Philadelphia Flyers are not fools, they understand that a person has missed a whole year and it is useless to invite him to the NHL. And so he will get game practice in CSKA. How quickly can he return to his previous level? Don’t even ask anyone this question because there is no answer to it. A person has not played for a whole year, you can’t make any predictions here, ”- quotes Mayorova “RIA Sport”.
Vladimir Krikunov, former head coach of the Russian national ice hockey team
“The NHL and the KHL will agree and sort it out. Well, Fedotov will talk. In theory, they always respected the agreements, if a person has a contract, then they do not touch him. It may also happen that CSKA will let him go. On the other hand, there is also a risk, he spent a year in the army. Now he will arrive, and it is not clear whether he will play there or not. Maybe it’s better to stay here for a year, recover, because he will definitely play here. And there can get into an ambush and disappear. The NHL is fine with our players, attitude and everything else. I think they will agree. I always say: I am for the guys to leave. And the sooner the better. They will go, stay there, play. It will turn out to break into the NHL, well, let the guy play, he trained for this in order to get into the best league in the world. If it doesn’t work out, he will come back here, he will play here. Nothing wrong with that. We have a lot of guys, our land will not become scarce with talents. They all come back anyway. Now all the NHLers are here: Fedorov, Zhamnov, Datsyuk – everyone is here. Many have moved and live and left this America. A person is free to live where he wants, there is nothing wrong with that. quotes the words Krikunov Metaratings.ru.
Author: Alvina Tsakanyan.
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