Ivan Fedotov's Long and Strange Journey to Becoming a Flyer
Man, that took a long time. To be honest, I pretty much had Ivan Fedotov and his chances of becoming a Flyer written off. When you look at his long and bizarre story of coming to Philadelphia, there were doubts. A lot of it was out of his control. However, he has arrived and could help this team when needed, even if he simply gives Sam Ersson some time off here and there. Let's examine his strange path to the NHL.
Drafted by Philadelphia
Fedotov's Philadelphia journey began in 2015 as a 19-year-old. He was drafted in the seventh round. He was the final pick the Flyers made that year and was the third goalie selected in that year's draft. Ahead of him were Felix Sandstrom and Matej Tomek, both taken in the third round. Sandstrom was the backup in Philly, while Tomek is currently playing in the Czech league.
Fedotov was good enough to be drafted but was nothing special at that time. He was fairly raw and appeared to be a project. In his first year in the Russian MHL, their junior hockey league, he played for Reaktor Nizhnekamsk. In 24 games he had a 3.30 GAA with a save percentage of .866. In his second season, he shook off the rust. He appeared in 41 games, had a GAA of 1.91 and improved his save percentage to .911.
That's when the Flyers selected him. Based on his improved skills, former GM Ron Hextall wanted to give the kid a chance. He saw something in him that looked good.
Most players drafted go on to play in a minor league system somewhere or an overseas league to hone their skills. Then, they moved up the ranks until, hopefully, they make it to the NHL. If it had only been that easy for Fedotov
Red Star Rising
Over the next few years, Fedotov played at various levels in the Russian hockey leagues. He played in the MHL, the VHL (the Supreme Hockey League, their version of the AHL), and the KHL. After being promoted to each level, he struggled initially, as he had to get accustomed to the higher level of competition but once he figured it out, he became solid and steady.
Fedotov also played in international competitions for Russia. The highlight for him was earning a silver medal with the 2022 Russian men's hockey team at the Beijing Olympics. He was tremendous in six games, posting a 1.61 GAA and a .943 SV%.
The other highlight for him, and the one that ended up having severe consequences was when he was traded from his KHL team, the Traktor Chelyabinsk, to CSKA Moskva. While a member of CSKA, Fedotov led them to the KHL Championship. During the 2021-22 season, his stats were solid: 14-10-2 record with a 2.00 GAA and a .919 SV% during the regular season and 1.85 GAA with a .937 SV% in the postseason. He was named the KHL's Best Goaltender and was named to the First All-Star Team.
Fedotov Signs ELC With Flyers
Based on his performance in Russia and the KHL, widely considered one of the best hockey leagues besides the NHL, the Flyers signed Fedotov to an entry-level contract. He was 25 at the time so it was expected his one-year deal would give him a chance to claim the backup spot to Carter Hart at the very least. At best, he could challenge the oft-injured goalie for the starter job if he impressed in camp.
He signed the deal in May. You would think after signing the deal, the hard part was done. All that was needed now was to get him on a plane to Philadelphia, work him out during rookie camp, get him prepped for training camp, and see how it played out. It didn't exactly work out that way.
Going AWOL?
Around the same time Fedotov signed with the Flyers, the Russian offensive in Ukraine stalled and had significant problems. Why am I bringing international conflicts and politics into a story about hockey? What do they have to do with each other? Turns out, it matters a lot.
You see, CSKA Moskva, the team that Fedotov was playing for, used to be known as the Red Army Team. The very same team that played the USA in the famous 1980 Olympics. Most of the best Russian players played on that team. Why is it called the Red Army Team? Is it some Cold War joke? Sort of, but mostly, it is because the team is, technically, owned and operated by the Russian Army.
CSKA was not too happy that their award-winning goalie was leaving for America. So, as late June/early July of 2022 rolled around, the Russian Army High Command accused Fedotov of failing to register for the Russian draft. For several days, the Flyers and his agent had no idea where he was.
Then he turned up at a Russian military base and was detained after being arrested. As time went on, it was clear that the Russians would not let him come over. His entry-level deal would roll over until he could come to North America once released from military duty. But if you think this was the end of the weird part of the story, you'd be wrong.
International Incident
The following summer, the Flyers tried to get him back. After all, he did sign a contract with Philadelphia. The KHL and NHL have agreements that allow players to come over and play. It gives credibility to the KHL as an elite hockey league and allows Russian stars to shine on the world stage.
Turns out, CSKA didn't want to give up their elite goalie. The Flyers appealed to the International Ice Hockey Federation. The IIHF ruled that the Flyers' contract was valid and he should come to the NHL.
Like two bickering parents arguing over visitation time with the child, the Flyers-KHL-IIHF story dragged out. Russia refused to honor the ruling. In response, the KHL, and CSKA in particular, were heavily sanctioned by the IIHF. But since Russia doesn't care about wartime sanctions, do you think they would care about hockey ones? Nope.
Philadelphia Freedom?
On March 28, 2024, the saga finally came to an end. After an early exit from the KHL playoffs, CSKA Moskva terminated Fedotov's contract. He was now free to come to the US.
Fedotov is only signed through the end of this year. After this season, he will become a free agent. The Flyers will get a chance to see him play over the next three weeks. With Ersson shouldering the load for the Flyers, he could use time off. Sandstrom and Cal Petersen have been ineffective as backups. Fedotov can give Ersson some rest while showcasing his talent. At best, Fedotov could unseat Ersson during a playoff run, if the Flyers make it.
With fellow KHL'er Alexei Kolosov joining the Phantoms soon, Fedotov could have competition in staying around. Ersson has been fairly dependable all year. Hart is a free agent to be, as is Sandstrom. Petersen is a likely buyout candidate. Fedotov will have a few weeks to show if he has been worth the wait. If not, the Flyers have several prospects waiting to take his spot.
Fedotov's story has been messy for him and the Flyers. Who knows, maybe had he come over here and signed the contract in person, he might have saved himself some anguish and the Flyers would know what they had in him last year. Life, however, happens for a reason. He's here now. Hopefully, he can make the best of his situation and the opportunities presented to him.
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